Demons and Angels
by The Big Lazy Dragon
Summary: A GargoylesAngel Crossover. Rumors of Thailog draws Demona to the city of Angels, where she comes to grips with something she did in the past. Takes place between 'Sunnydale Interlude' & 'Sunnydale Werewolf in Manhattan'.
1. Demons and Angels Part One

Demons and Angels

Part One

Written by Donald E. Fleming II

Story concept by Donald E. Fleming II

Disclaimer: Original Gargoyles characters are the property of Disney and Buena Vistas Studios. Angel and other related characters are the property of Warner Bros. Other Gargoyle characters are the property of The Gargoyle Saga (TGS) writing staff. All characters are being used without permission of their creators.

Note: This story begins at approximately the same time as Part One of "A Sunnydale Werewolf in Manhattan" and concludes shortly after the start of Part Two, for those continuity freaks out there.

June 17, 2000 

_Los Angeles, California_

Detective Kate Lockley smiled as she listened to the statement the officer took from the strikingly attractive redhead who had just had her purse snatched. Or rather someone had attempted to snatch it. The thief had taken two running steps away from her before she yanked him back and decked him. He went down without so much as a whimper, and she hadn't even broken a nail. They had already taken him into custody by the time Kate got there and she grinned at the sight of blood flowing from his nose. _I hope that teaches him not to judge a book by its cover,_ she thought as she considered the redhead.

She certainly didn't look like she was capable of taking down your average street thug, she thought. But then, take away the tattoo and neither does Mrs. Fox Xanatos, and Kate knew she was most certainly capable of taking down even armed assailants. That was why most crooks tended to steer clear of the former Pack leader.

But this woman was as different from Fox as she was from Cordelia Chase, at least judging by outward appearances. This woman obviously was from a tailored background, judging from the red tailored business suit she wore. And she looked vaguely familiar.

When the officer finished taking her statement, the woman asked him a brief question before retrieving her purse and leaving. Kate walked over to the officer.

"Excuse me," she said.

"Detective Lockley," he said. "Nice to see you again."

"Thanks. Who was that woman?"

"Her?" he said, pointing to the woman's retreating back. "That was Dominique Destine."

The name sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it.

"Dominique Destine," the officer repeated, seeing her trying to place the name. "As in Nightstone Unlimited Dominique Destine, one of the richest and most powerful women in the known universe."

"Oh, that Dominique Destine," Kate said. Now she remembered. Nightstone Unlimited had opened a new office building downtown and her picture had been in the local papers. But what would a classy businesswoman like her be doing in this part of Los Angeles?

"She asked you a question," Kate said, remembering. "What was it?"

"She wanted to know where she could find Angel Investigations," the officer replied.

"Did you tell her?"

"Yeah," he said. "Even gave her a card."

_Now that was weird,_ she thought. _What would the world famous Dominique Destine be wanting with Angel?_

Dominique threw her purse on the bed as she pulled off her jacket and began to undress. She had been upset when that petty crook tried to steal her purse, but she had taught him a lesson he would not soon forget. It had been an interesting way to release some of the frustration she felt, and it had given her some unexpected results.

Now she knew where Angelus was.

No, not Angelus, she reminded herself. It was Angel now. Angelus was dead and gone. She had seen to that.

_How long has it been?_ she wondered. One hundred years or more at least. It had been some time after Paris when she first encountered him in Romania and she could see right away that he was trouble. She knew his reputation as a ruthless killer, but even she blanched at the merciless way he killed his victims. She had fled, luckily Angelus had had the same dislike for gargoyle blood that Spike had, but that didn't stop him from trying to feed on her. Weakened, she was found by a band of gypsies who knew of her kind and cared for her while she recovered. For the first time since Michel died, she found herself growing close to humans again, and she developed a special rapport with the gypsy princess who, like herself, was a formidable sorceress.

That was changed in one night. Angelus found their camp while she'd been out hunting and killed her friend. In retribution, Demona had taught the girl's grandmother one special spell…

She looked at the clock before she retreated into the bathroom for her shower. She still had time. Nightfall was not for several hours. She had plenty of time to get ready. She stepped into the shower and let her mind drift as the water caressed her body…

_1898_

_Romania_

It was raining again, she noted. And she hated flying in the rain. _What was it, the third night in a row?_ she thought. She went to the mouth of the cave and looked outside. The rain was a solid sheet of water. It was a miserable night and Demona felt just as bad.

Why were the gods punishing her like this, she wondered. Was it because she had been unable to save Valjean and the rest of the Paris gargoyles from the mob, or was there another reason?

A blast of cold wind whipped up the rain and sent a good amount straight into her face. She fell back, suddenly sodden and retreated back into the cave to stir the fire she had started. Gargoyles didn't feel the cold like humans did, but it kept the cave lit and did provide enough heat to dry her. It also seemed to brighten her mood a little.

"Would ye be willin' to share that fire?" she heard someone say. Demona spun and caught sight of a human standing at the mouth of the cave. He was dripping wet and obviously chilled to the bone, although for some reason he didn't appear to be shivering.

"What do you want, human?" Demona snarled. She had no intention of sharing either her cave or her fire with this person.

"Not much," he said. "Just a little company and a place to dry myself." He spread his arms and Demona could see the water dripping off of him. "Ye wouldn't begrudge me a little comfort." He turned and looked out at the rain. "'Tis not a fit night out for man nor beast. Nor gargoyle for that matter."

For some reason, she took pity on him. It could have been the fact that he wasn't all that bad looking for a human, or that she had to agree with him about the weather. It was terrible outside, and not even she would want to be out on a night like this. Or it could have been that he didn't seem to be like most humans.

"Very well," she said, turning back to the fire. "You may stay for a little while." Then she turned and looked at him as he approached. "But be gone before sunrise," she added. "I have no intention of sharing my cave with a human that long."

"Thank ye kindly," he said smiling. He took of his coat and set it on an outcropping of rock to dry before kneeling down before the fire.

"Might I ask you why you were out in this storm?" she asked. "I'm certain that you would have no problem finding a bed to sleep in for the night." _Most likely with a busty serving wench, _she thought ruefully.

"The innkeeper down the road didn't take kindly to my company," he said. "Something to do with his daughter falling ill."

"And he suspected you," she said.

"Aye," he said.

_Typical,_ Demona thought. _Always at each other's throats, these humans. At least, they wouldn't be blaming her for this. They didn't even know she was here._

"You probably deserved it," she said.

"Nay," he said. "I wouldna' have forced myself on her if she hadn't asked me first."

Demona crossed her arms. "So you did do something." She looked towards the mouth of the cave as she realized the storm was finally letting up.

"She'll recover," he said. He stood up and turned towards her.

"What did you do?" she asked as she turned back to face him. The moment she did, her face went pale.

His face had changed and now he wore the visage of a vampire.

"I was hungry," he said.

"Who are you?" she asked as he approached her.

"Where are my manners?" he laughed. "Please, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Angelus."

_Angelus,_ she thought. She had heard of him. She remembered William the Bloody mentioning that Angelus was his sire, the vampire that had brought him across. She took a step back towards the entrance as she recalled how brutal William said he was.

Then she stopped. _Vampires don't feed on gargoyles, _she thought. They don't like the taste. She drew herself up and stared at him. "I suggest you leave, Angelus," she said. "The storm is passing and I have no desire to share my cave with the likes of you."

"You'd send me out on a night like this," he said, still wearing his hideous visage.

"Yes," she said. "Even though I know how little vampires like the taste of gargoyle blood, I still do not trust you. Now, go!"

"It's still raining out there," Angelus protested. "And besides, I'm still hungry."

Demona's moment of shock was all he needed to get the drop on her. Angelus leapt and bowled Demona over before biting down on her neck.

She screamed, more in shock than in pain and felt him begin to feed. She tried to push him off her, but he was too strong,_ too strong!_ He must have just fed, _that innkeeper's daughter, no doubt, _and she was weak from hunger; the storm had kept her from going out to hunt. She could feel herself start to go numb from the loss of blood and she tried to throw him off again. She managed to wrap her tail around his neck and start to squeeze.

Angelus stopped for a moment to try to get Demona's tail from around his neck and she used that moment to whip him away from her. He got up quickly as she struggled to her feet, holding her hand to the side of her neck to stop the flow of blood.

"Now that's what I like," he said. "None of this 'No, please' garbage. I like a woman with some spirit!" He rushed over to Demona to take her down again.

She saw him coming and stopped him with a shot to the jaw. It appeared to stagger him, but then he smiled at her and shoved her up against the cave wall, sinking his fangs into her throat again.

She screamed again, this time in pain and terror, and a sudden burst of adrenaline gave her strength enough to bring her knee up into his groin. This time, Angelus went down as the knee spur hit something vital. She shoved him away and took off running towards the mouth of the cave. She stumbled twice, but got up quickly, not wanting Angelus to catch her when he recovered, and she wasn't sure her immortality would guard her against the effects of the vampire's bite if he should actually drain her dry. She reached the mouth of the cave and launched herself out into the rain-filled night.

She didn't know how long she was in the air, fleeing the vampire. She didn't want to risk setting down to rest because she was afraid, _and this was a first for Demona, _that he would be there waiting for her. At least the rain had finally let up and she could see a few stars peeking through the cloud cover.

She didn't know when she blacked out, but she regained consciousness just as she was falling towards the forest floor. She spread her wings to bring herself out of the fatal plunge, but was unable to avoid clipping a tree as she tried to regain altitude. She heard and felt her wing spar go **snap **as it struck the massive trunk and suddenly Demona was plummeting towards the forest floor. She hit hard and tumbled a short distance before coming to a stop.

Demona tried to get up, but she was too weak, both from the pain she was in and the loss of blood. She managed to drag herself a short distance to try to hide herself while her body healed itself, but the effort wore her out quickly and she discovered that she hadn't traveled all that far from where she had come down. She sagged to the ground and began sobbing; wishing for the first time in centuries that she could just curl up into a ball and die.

The sound of footfalls on the forest floor drew her attention. She looked up and saw a young woman looking at her. Her hand was clutched around the hilt of a dagger.

Demona let her head sag to the ground and prayed that it would be quick.

She felt wetness on her brow. Cool and refreshing. She risked opening her eyes to take in her surroundings.

An old woman was sitting next to her as she lay on a cot. The woman removed the wet cloth from her brow and soaked it in a basin of water before ringing it out and applying it to her forehead again.

"What…" she started.

"Shhh," the old woman said. "Hush, child. You need to rest."

_Child? _Demona thought. What a laugh. She easily had at least eight hundred years on the old woman, but as she looked at her, she suddenly felt as if she were a hatchling again. Weak and defenseless. She tried to sit up, but gave up on that as a wave of nausea hit her. She forced it down.

"Now see," the old woman said. "You are fortunate my granddaughter found you when she did. Had she not, you would have bled to death before the sun could heal you."

"Where…where am I?" Demona asked. "Who are you?"

"I am…"

"Do not tell her, mother," another voice said. Demona looked and saw a large human male standing nearby. She looked around and discovered that she was in some sort of wagon. _Gypsies,_ she thought, noting the way they were dressed.

"That will be enough, Yosef," the old woman barked.

"You risk us all by helping her," Yosef said. He stalked over and raised her upper lip. Demona took a quick snap at his finger as he backed away. "She has already turned," he said. "Note the fangs."

"She is a gargoyle, Yosef," the woman said. "Of course, she has fangs." The old woman got up with a speed that belied her age and confronted him. "Now, out!" she commanded. He puffed himself up briefly but futilely in the face of his mother before turning to leave.

The old woman turned back and sat back down next to Demona. "You must forgive my son," she said. "As our clan leader, he wishes to keep all of us from harm, but sometimes forgets his place when it comes to obligations."

"Obligations?" Demona asked. "I don't understand."

"I will tell you in a moment," she said. She went over to a small table and picked up a small cup. "Here, drink this."

Demona took the cup and sniffed it cautiously. She took a small sip and spit it out. "Ugh," she grimaced. "That's terrible!"

"That may be," the old woman said. "But it will help clean out any impurities the vampire may have left in your blood and help you to regain your strength. Now drink, or I will have Yosef sit on you while I hold your nose and pour it down your throat like a stubborn infant."

Demona thought about that for a moment. Yosef was not as strong as Goliath, but he would have no problem holding her down, especially in her weakened state. She took another experimental sip of the concoction before gritting her teeth and downing it in one gulp. It left a truly horrendous taste in her mouth.

"Now, drink this," she said.

Demona took the small bowl the old woman offered her and sniffed at that. _Beef broth,_ she realized. She took a healthy swallow that left more running down her chin than her throat.

"Slowly, child," the old woman said. "You needn't act like you haven't eaten in days."

"I haven't," Demona admitted shyly.

"The storm?" she asked as she took the now empty bowl.

"Yes," Demona said. "I was forced to take shelter in a cave to wait it out."

The old woman got up and crossed over to a small pot hanging from a hook. She took the lid off and spooned some more broth into the bowl. Demona's mouth watered at the smell. Her host returned and handed her the bowl. "Slowly now," she warned. "If you haven't eaten, then you should give your stomach time to adjust."

Demona nodded slightly and slowly brought the bowl to her lips. She took a small sip before speaking again. "You mentioned an obligation," she said.

"Many years ago," she said as Demona took another sip of the broth. "My family helped a small group of gargoyles escape the revolution of Paris. In exchange for their protection during the night, they helped them to escape France."

Demona was shocked by this. _Part of Valjean's clan escaped! _She couldn't believe it. "How many?" she asked.

"Three, so I'm told," she said. "Two females and a male, plus their clutch of eggs."

_The rookery! The rookery survived!_

"Are you all right?" the old woman asked, seeing the tears of joy streaming down Demona's face. "What is wrong?"

Demona was about to answer when the sun peeked over the horizon, freezing the look of joy on her face.

Nightfall found Demona still lying on the cot as she broke out of her stone skin. She sat up to take in her surroundings and found she was still in the old woman's wagon. Realizing she still held the bowl of beef broth in her hand, she brought it to her nose and sniffed at it. _Cold,_ she realized. She set the bowl down on the table and got up to stretch.

"I see that you are up," she heard the old woman say. She turned and saw her standing at the door. She held a garment in her hand. Demona realized it was her halter.

"Why is it humans always feel the need to undress me when I am sick?" she asked sarcastically. The last one to do that had been Michel, when she fell victim to the Black Plague. At least the old woman had left Demona her loincloth.

"Your garment was torn and covered with blood," the old woman returned. "Your own, I would imagine. It needed to be cleaned and mended."

"Thank you," she said as the old woman handed her the garment. She put it on carefully.

"Sit," the old woman said. Demona sat back down on the cot as she approached and reached for her neck. "Let's have a look, shall we?"

Demona sat still as the old woman undid the cloth bandage she had no doubt placed on the gargoyle's neck to staunch the flow of blood from Angelus' bite wounds. The woman put her fingers to Demona's chin and tilted her head to one side.

"You are lucky," she said, getting up and crossing the wagon to the door. She opened it and a young woman came in with a fresh pot of broth, which she hung on the hook. As she watched her work, Demona raised her hand to her neck.

She could feel the spots where Angelus had bitten her. Four small scars were present on her neck. She wondered about that. _Surely, the spell that granted her immortality would have cleared those up by now, _she thought. Of course, given the demonic nature of vampires, it could be one of the aftereffects of the bite. It would make for an interesting text in the Grimorium, she mused. _The Effects of Mystical Wounds and Vampire Bites on Immortal Beings, _she could call it.

"Why is that?" she found herself asking.

The old woman looked at her. "Yosef is still afraid that you will turn on us during the night and drain us," she said, smiling. "Those scars should ease his fears."

Demona knew why. Vampires typically didn't retain the scars left by the bites of those who created them. Human victims who survived their encounters with vampires usually did.

She was suddenly aware of the young woman's eyes on her. "What?" she said. She didn't care to have humans staring at her.

The old woman turned and saw her granddaughter staring at Demona. "You must forgive Jenna," she said. "She has never seen a gargoyle before."

"I thought you said your family helped…" Demona started, but realized the futility in the question. _The French Revolution had been over a hundred years ago,_ she thought. She should know, she'd lived through it. Despite her age, Demona knew that not even the old woman would have been alive then. And certainly not this young girl who couldn't have more than twenty summers on her. "Never mind," she said.

The old woman spooned some fresh broth into the bowl after dumping out the cold contents and crossed over to Demona. She handed the gargoyle the bowl and motioned her to turn.

Demona complied and felt her sitting on the cot behind her. "How does the wing feel?" she asked. Demona could feel the woman's hands probing the wing spar she had broken in her crash. Fortunately, her immortality had managed to mend _that _properly without the need of a splint.

"It is better, thank you," she said.

"You are fortunate," the old woman said. "I had thought that you would lose the use of that wing given how badly it was damaged."

"I heal extremely quickly," Demona said. She put her hand over the bite marks on her neck. "By nightfall tomorrow, even these will have faded."

"You are lucky," the old woman said. She pulled aside the neck of her blouse and exposed a set of similar marks on her own neck. "I received these when I was no older than Jenna. I was more fortunate than most of his victims."

"Him?" Demona asked.

"A vampire," she said. "A demon with…"

"…the face of an angel," Demona finished.

"You know of him," she said. "Angelus."

Demona pointed to her neck. "His handiwork," she said.

The old woman looked to her granddaughter. The young girl nodded and headed outside.

"She goes to inform Yosef," she said, seeing the look on Demona's face. "We will probably be leaving this area soon. You are welcome to come with us if you like."

Demona looked at the kindly old woman. _She should leave, _she told herself. _Best not to get involved with humans again. _But she found herself smiling at the old woman.

"I would like that," she said.

They had been travelling for a little over a week together, and in that time Demona found herself growing closer to the small band of humans, in particular the old woman and her granddaughter. And she learned quite a bit from them.

Both the old woman and her granddaughter were sorceresses. Not quite in her league, but they did have power and they were more than willing to accept Demona into their circle, once she admitted to her own abilities.

She also learned that the gargoyle eggs she had thought lost in Paris had been taken across the Channel to a clan in London. At first she worried about that, knowing the intolerance of the English towards her kind, but if a clan had managed to thrive this long in London, then the eggs would no doubt be safe. _Probably long since hatched,_ she thought. She wondered if she were to go there to seek out this clan, would she be able to find Valjean's offspring.

The gypsy caravan slowed to a stop and she jumped off the seat she shared with Jenna. She noted that Yosef gave her a disapproving look, but at least he was no longer hostile towards her. Especially after she had gone out one night and returned carrying a deer carcass over her shoulders and several quail from her hand. They had feasted on venison and roasted quail for three days after that.

"Going hunting again?" he asked her.

Demona took the reins and tied up the horses. "Yes," she said. "I flew over this area several months ago and spotted some promising game. It shouldn't be that hard to locate again."

He looked at the full moon. "Guard yourself," he said. "You never know what could be prowling in these woods."

She gave the horse a pat and turned to head off into the woods. "I'll be fine," she said.

Demona was in high spirits when she returned. Not only had she found a clear stream with exceptionally pure water, which they could use for holy water to guard against Angelus, provided they could find a priest to properly bless it, but the game she had originally sought as well. She thought about trying her hand at catching some of the fish that swam in the stream, but gave it up after two tries. She settled for deer and pheasant.

She found Yosef crying, cradling the lifeless body of Jenna. The deer and pheasant hit the ground.

"What happened?" she cried out, rushing to Yosef's side. She put her hand on Jenna's head and noticed how pale she was.

"You brought this down on us!" he snapped. "He followed you here!"

"What? Who?"

"The vampire," he said. "Angelus. He came looking for you."

"No!" She looked around and spied the old woman's wagon. She rushed to the open door.

"Leave us," he said to her. "Go, before he returns!"

Demona didn't hear him. She was already vaulting the stairs into the wagon, looking for the old woman.

She found her weeping on the cot. Demona thought she never looked so ancient in her life than at that moment.

"What happened?" Demona asked. Given the blunt dismissal she had just received from Yosef, she was afraid the old woman would act the same.

"He was here," she said.

"I know," Demona said, looking towards the open door. "Yosef said…"

"Yosef believes, but he does not think," she said. "Angelus did not come searching for you, but it was enough that Yosef believes he did." The old woman hung her head. "And now our little princess is gone."

Demona let out a scream that shook the wagon. She grabbed a glass and hurled it against the wall. "I will have his misbegotten life!" she screamed. She turned to race out of the wagon, but tripped and fell to the floor. She tried to get up, but found her strength leave her and she started sobbing on the floor. "I will make him pay for this!" she managed to say. When she was able she stood back up and turned back to face the old woman. "_We _will make him pay for this," she said. She went over to the shelf and grabbed a box she had found years ago and had given to Jenna. Inside was a crystal sphere. Demona opened the box and showed it to the old woman.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Our revenge," Demona said.

_Present Day_

Angel Investigations 

"All I'm saying is we should try something like this every now and then," Cordelia said.

"Cordelia," Angel said. "We're not Ace Ventura, Pet Detective."

"But think of the money," she said.

"I don't do dogs," he said. Picking up the picture, he looked at it before handing it back to Cordelia. "Besides, I'm not real big on Chihuahuas. Too much nervous energy."

He turned and headed downstairs.

Wesley chose that moment to enter the office. He took one look at Cordelia and guessed Angel's reaction.

"No go, I take it," he said.

"He wouldn't even consider it," she said. "He's not a dog person. Which is weird considering Oz is a one three nights every month."

"Cordelia," Wesley said. "You have to remember that what Angel does falls outside the purview of normal private investigators."

"Huh?" she asked.

"What I mean to say is…"

"I know what your saying, Wes," she said. "But why do we have to focus only on the weird stuff and leave the normal gigs to somebody else."

"Because we ourselves are not normal investigators," Wesley said. "Angel is a vampire, I'm a rogue demon hunter," Cordelia raised her eyebrows at that, but Wesley ignored the gesture. "And you receive mind-numbing visions. Normal just doesn't fall into our line of work."

"Good," they heard a voice from the door. They both looked at the open door and caught sight of a woman in a red business suit. "Because what I am looking for is something other than normal."

Cordelia couldn't believe her eyes. Standing in their office was Dominique Destine, one of the richest women in the world.

"May we help you?" Wesley said.

"Yes, you may," she said. "I need to speak with Angel."

"And whom may I say…" he started, but received a quick elbow in the ribs from Cordelia.

"You have to excuse him," Cordelia said. "Good temp help is so hard to find." She quickly turned Wesley around and started to push him towards Angel's office. "That is Dominique Destine," she whispered. "The head of Nightstone Unlimited. She has more money than even I could spend."

Wesley took a quick look over his shoulder. "What would she want with Angel?" he asked.

"Who cares?" she said. "Just go get him." She practically threw Wesley through the door and turned to face the Nightstone CEO. "He'll be right up," she said. "Can I get you something? Coffee, Danish, a new wax job on your limo?"

"No, thank you," Dominique said. She smiled inwardly. Spike had mentioned her when she was in Sunnydale, but he hadn't told her that Cordelia Chase was such a suck-up when it came to money.

Angel and Wesley stepped out of the office at that moment.

"Can I help you?" Angel asked.

"I certainly hope you can," she said. "I'm…"

"Dominique Destine," he said. "I know. Wesley told me."

"Then you know _who _I am," she said.

"The CEO of Nightstone Unlimited," Angel said. "Which causes me to wonder why someone as rich as you would ask for help from someone like us." He ignored Cordelia's _Are-you-crazy-do-you-know-how-much-money-she-has _look as he considered her.

"I require…specialized help," she said. "I cannot go to the police with this, nor can I handle this internally." She shifted her gaze to the window. Sunset was only a few moments away. She turned her attention back to Angel. "Will you help me?" she asked. "You may consider it repayment for troubles you have caused me in the past."

Angel looked at her. "Have we met before?" he asked.

"Yes, we have," she said. "Angelus."

At that moment, the sun set.

Cordelia and Wesley jumped back in surprise and shock as the Nightstone CEO doubled over in pain and transformed right before their eyes. Her skin changed from pale pink to azure blue and a pair of wings sprouted from her back, ripping through the expensive business suit. Her feet lengthened, bursting through the shoes she wore and a long tail snaked out from her skirt. When it was over, she snarled as she flared her wings before settling them around her shoulders and returning her attention to Angel.

"My word," Wesley said. Off to one side, Cordelia grabbed a potted plant and held it up as if to throw it.

"Hello, Demona," Angel said.

"I am pleased you remember me," she said.

"Demona," Wesley said, trying to place the name.

"I imagine the Watcher's Council has a great deal to say about me," she said, turning her attention towards him.

"How did you know…"

"I was in Sunnydale last month," she said. "Spike and the Slayer had quite a bit to say about you." She looked at Cordelia. "And you can put down that fern, Miss Chase. My business is with Angel."

Cordelia set down the plant and looked at Angel. "You know her?" she asked.

"We met in Romania," he said. "A hundred years ago."

"Is she a…"

"No, I am not a vampire," Demona said. "I'm a gargoyle."

"But you are immortal, if I'm not mistaken," Wesley said.

Demona turned to him and nodded.

"So what are you here for, Demona," Angela asked. "A little payback for what happened?"

"What happened?" Cordelia asked.

"I tried to feed off of her," Angel said. "It took me a week to get the taste out of my mouth." He watched as Demona rubbed the spot on her neck where he had bitten her. "Is that what this is all about?"

"No," she said. "I took my revenge on you long ago, after you stole something very precious from me and some friends of mine."

Angel realized what she was referring to. "The gypsies," he said.

"Yes," she said.

"You were the one who cast the spell that restored my soul," he added.

"No," Demona said. "That I cannot take credit for. But I did provide the spell and the incentive. I thought it appropriate to make you suffer for what you did." She backed off a bit as she returned to the reason she had sought Angel out in the first place. "That's all in the past," she said. "Right now, I need your assistance. I need…a detective."

Los Angeles Police Department 

Kate looked at the picture again. What did the CEO of Nightstone want with Angel, she wondered. Did it have something to do with Wolfram and Hart? She set down the picture of Dominique Destine and picked up the one of Angel. It was a surveillance camera picture, taken during that bizarre time when everyone in the precinct was acting exceedingly mellow. Even Angel had been affected. And he was a vampire.

She thought about that. Did Nightstone have some vested interest in uncovering his secret? Given that the headquarters of Nightstone Unlimited was in New York, home to a clan of gargoyles, was it possible they were looking for a way to exploit Angel?

There was some sudden activity in the squad room. She looked up as several uniformed officers started heading for the door.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Trouble at the new Nightstone Plaza," one of the officers said as he rushed out. Kate grabbed her jacket and followed them out. Her questions about the connection between Angel and Dominique Destine would have to wait until later.

Angel Investigations 

Angel watched as Demona discarded the ruined business suit. Fortunately, she had chosen to wear her usual attire, halter and loincloth, underneath the human clothing. She reached into her handbag and pulled out her armlet and tiara, putting them on.

"I'm still not sure why I should help you, Demona," he said. "From what I've heard, helping you tops the list of things not to do."

"I agree," Wesley said. "The Watcher's Council has made it clear that aiding you is not exactly a good idea. Especially given your past."

"Since when have you listened to what the Watcher's Council says, Wesley," Cordelia said. "Besides, this is Dominique Destine. She has more money than Xanatos."

"Not quite," Demona said, turning to look at the aspiring actress/secretary. "But give me time." She found herself growing fond of the human. Especially the way she sprang to her defense, even if it was because of the money.

"I don't know," Angel said. "We do have a case to work on already. A missing chinchilla…"

"Chihuahua," Wesley quickly corrected.

"Chihuahua," Angel continued. "And its owner is really looking forward to us finding…"

Angel stopped when he saw the look of pain on Cordelia's face. For a brief instant, he thought she was faking it; like when she tried to convince him to take Rebecca Lowell as a client to protect her from a 'deranged fan', only to find out later that it was a publicity stunt cooked up by her agent, but he could tell from the way Cordelia sagged against the desk that it wasn't an act.

Images flashed in Cordelia's mind, as well as a host of strong emotions, most of it fear.

_Panic,_ as she saw someone running down a hallway.

_Pain, _as she felt him being thrown against the wall.

_Terror _at the sight of the _creature _looming over him.

**_Agony _**as she felt his death.

Angel was quickly at Cordelia's side as she started to collapse to the floor. He held her up and guided her to a chair.

"What happened?" Demona asked.

"She's had a vision," Wesley said as he thrust a pad and pen into Cordelia's hands. She began writing down an address.

"A what?"

"A vision," Angel said. "She's my link to The Powers That Be." He turned to look at Demona. "She's a seer."

Demona looked at Cordelia. "How long has she had this gift?"

"Not long," Angel said. "A…friend passed it on to her before he died." He thought of Doyle for a brief moment. He turned his attention back to Cordelia. "What did you see?" he asked as Wesley went to the small office refrigerator and retrieved an ice pack from the freezer.

"Trouble, what else," Cordelia said painfully. She handed Angel the pad. She had written down an address. "I saw a guy running down a hallway and something attacked him."

"A demon?" Wesley asked as he handed her the ice pack.

"Thanks, Wesley," she said as she pressed it to her forehead. "I don't know what it was, but it sure looked like it. All big and mean and scary looking."

"Where?" Wesley asked. Angel read the address.

"Wait a minute," Demona said. "That's my building."

Angel turned to face her. "Your building?"

"The new Nightstone Office Plaza downtown," Demona said. "It opened last month. It appears you'll be taking my case after all," she added.

"Let's not jump to conclusions," Wesley said. "It could be just a coincidence…" He stopped when Angel grabbed his coat and headed for the door. Demona turned to follow him. She stopped when Angel turned to look at her.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"With you," she said. "This is my company you're going to."

"And your employees are aware of your…dual nature," Wesley said pointedly.

Demona smirked and quickly uttered a few word in Latin. Her appearance changed quickly and once again Angel and Wesley were looking at Dominique Destine.

"How did you…" Wesley asked as he brought up his hand to touch her. Dominique quickly stepped away from him.

"An illusion spell," Angel said. She nodded her head in response.

"I sometimes find it necessary when I travel abroad," she said. "It gives me a measure of freedom during the night. Although it does have its limitations."

"No physical contact with another person, I take it," Wesley said.

"Precisely," she said. "It shatters the illusion. That is why I use it infrequently. Although I have used it to scare the living hell out of someone who ticked me off on more than one occasion." She fondly remembered the night she invited Darien Montrose over to her house to talk to Angela. And the look on his face when both she and Angela changed to gargoyles right before his eyes.

"Wesley, you stay here with Cordelia," Angel said. "We'll be back as soon as possible."

Nightstone Office Plaza 

_Downtown Los Angeles_

Kate Lockley watched as Angel drove up in his car. She walked over to him and caught sight of Dominique Destine getting out.

"I suppose I should ask you what you're doing here, Angel," she said. "But I guess that's obvious." She looked over at Dominique.

"Have we met?" Dominique asked her, seeing the look Kate gave her.

"Not really," she said. "But I was there when they arrested that guy who tried to snatch your purse. Nice work, by the way."

"Thank you, detective…"

"Lockley," Kate said, extending her hand. Dominique just looked at it and Kate withdrew it finally. _Nice attitude,_ she thought. _Must not like cops._

"What's going on here, Kate," Angel asked, noticing the number of squad cars parked outside the Nightstone Plaza main entrance.

"There was a break-in about twenty minutes ago," Kate said. "Whoever it was killed one security guard and seriously wounded another one. He's on his way to the hospital right now. We're trying to get a statement from the guard who called in the alarm."

"I need to talk to him," Dominique said.

"I'm sorry, but I can't allow that," Kate said. "This is a criminal investigation."

"This is _my_ company, detective," she said. "And I'll speak to whomever I wish to." She stalked past Kate and headed towards the main entrance. Kate made a move to stop her, but Angel quickly grabbed her by the arm.

"I wouldn't if I were you, Kate," he said. "You might not like what you discover."

"Like finding out that you're a vampire," she said as she pulled her arm away. For a brief moment, she considered the possibility that Dominique was one as well, but tossed out that idea when she remembered that the attempted purse snatching had happened that afternoon _in broad daylight._ She looked at the CEO as she disappeared into the building. Whoever, or whatever, Dominique Destine was, it was obvious that she and Angel had a history. She looked back at Angel before following Dominique into the building. Angel went in after her.

She found her trying to get around two police officers that were barring her path to the remaining security guard.

"Listen lady," one of the officers said. "I don't care if you're Janet Reno, you can't interfere in a police investigation."

"It's okay," Kate said. "Let her talk with him. We're about done here anyway."

Dominique turned to look at her briefly before walking between the two officers to approach the security guard.

"I'm sorry, Miss Destine," he said. "There wasn't anything I could do to help them."

"What happened?" she asked calmly. "Try to remember every detail."

Her calmness seemed to relax him, Kate noted. He was probably afraid that he would lose his job over this incident, but apparently she wasn't going to hold this against him.

"I was in the security room," he said. "Where all the monitors are. Dave was doing rounds and Steve was down here at the desk. All of a sudden, we get a disturbance up on Twelve, so Dave goes there and that's when this…_thing…_attacks him. It knocked him around and then let him go." He began to shake at that moment. "Then it…it…chased him down the hall and…"

Kate could guess the rest. They had found the guard 'Dave' slumped against the wall with a massive scorch mark on his chest. Apparently this guard had seen the whole thing over the security monitors.

"What am I going to tell his wife?" he asked. "They were expecting their first kid in August."

"She'll be cared for," Dominique said. "Please continue."

Her tone surprised Angel. He had always heard that she despised humans, and would like nothing better than to see them wiped off the face of the Earth. Now it appeared that she actually cared about what happened to them. Apparently, something had happened that had changed her entire outlook. He wondered if the rumored Unseelie War last year had something to do with it.

"It got into one of the elevators and started down," he said. "So I called down here to tell Steve what was going on and then I killed the elevators to keep it from escaping." He looked towards the elevators. "It didn't even slow it down."

Kate and Angel looked towards the bank of elevators. The doors to one of them had been blasted open from inside the shaft. Angel went over and looked through the ruined doors. He could see the bottom of the elevator car five floors up. The floor had been ripped open from the inside. Whatever had done that had to have inhuman strength. He pulled his head out of the shaft as he heard Kate approach.

"So what are we dealing with here?" she asked. "Some kind of demon?"

"I don't know, Kate," he said. He took out a flashlight and shined the light on the inside of the doors. "No demon I know of is capable of something like this."

Kate looked at the door. There was a massive scorch mark on the inside of the door. She had never seen anything like it.

They heard footsteps approaching. They turned to see the security guard and Dominique walking towards them.

"Angel, Detective Lockley," she said. "If you would come with us, we may be able to find out who is responsible for this." She turned and led them towards the security room.

The guard sat at the monitor panel, his fingers flying expertly over the playback console. Dominique stood behind him, watching him work.

"What are we looking at?" Kate asked.

"This is a high resolution, digital scan system," Dominique said. "All the images are captured onto a series of rewritable DVD-CD's after being stored on a computer chip. With it we can view images within thirty seconds of an incident."

Kate whistled low. Apparently, Dominique Destine was proud of her company's latest technology.

The guard pulled up the image of the hallway on the twelfth floor and began the replay. They watched as the guard Dave ran down the hall, only to be grabbed and thrown against the wall, by something that was regrettably out of view of the camera. But then they caught a glimpse of something. A wing.

"Stop!" Dominique said. The guard froze the image. She looked at it for a minute.

"You've done enough," she told the guard. "I'll take over from here."

"Are you sure, Miss Destine?" he asked. "I could…"

"No, that's all right," she said. "I can handle this."

The guard got up and left, and Dominique slid into the chair, mindful of her tail which hung invisibly over the side. She had to be careful. If either Angel or the human touched it inadvertently…

She continued the playback and saw what she expected. The creature finally came into view. It picked the guard up, almost as if it were helping him after he had taken a bad spill, then allowed him to take a few steps away from him. Then it called to him, causing the guard to turn and that's when the creature fired some kind of energy from its hands. The energy struck him in the chest, flinging him backward against the wall. Then the creature turned towards the camera and stuck its tongue out while crossing its eyes before finally extending its middle finger to the camera and then ramming the digit through the lens.

Dominique knew the culprit all too well.

"Fang," she hissed angrily.

"Who?" Kate asked.

_Damn,_ Dominique thought. She'd forgotten that the human was in here with her and Angel.

"His name is Fang," she said. "Or at least, that's what he goes by now. I have had… dealings with him in the past."

"What is he?" Kate asked. "Some kind of demon?"

Dominique turned to look at Angel. "It's okay," he said. "She knows my secret."

Now Kate was more than a little curious about her. _And just what is your secret, Ms. Dominique Destine?_

Dominique looked at her. "No," she said. "He's not a demon. He's a Mutate."

"A what?" Kate asked.

"He's a human that has been genetically altered," Dominique said. "It was an experiment conducted by Dr. Anton Sevarius on several...individuals."

"Anton Sevarius," Kate said. "The geneticist?"

"Butcher would be a more suitable title for him," Dominique said. "But yes, him. I've had an occasion to see some of his work...up close...for an extended period of time."

"He worked for you?" Kate said.

"Yes, I'm sorry to say," she admitted. "I have since terminated his employ." She turned to look at the screen, backing up the image until Fang's face was on the screen. "This one was being held in a special facility until his condition could be reversed, but he escaped. He's been missing ever since."

"And now he's here," Angel said.

"Any idea what might've been stolen?" Kate asked.

"None," Dominique said. "At least not until I can consult with the staff that uses the floor he broke into." She made a few adjustments to the picture and then printed a hard copy for Kate. "I suggest you be careful, detective. Fang will not be easy to find. He has been on the run for nearly three and a half years. And don't forget," she added as she recalled the image of him killing the security guard. "He is extremely dangerous."

Kate took the printed copy of the picture. "I'll be sure to let everyone know about him," she said. She turned and left the security room.

"Okay, Demona," Angel said after Kate left. "Suppose you tell me what's going on?"

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"You didn't drop by my office to reminisce," he said. "You told me you needed my help, and now this happens. What's going on?"

Still wearing the illusion of Dominique, Demona went to the door and closed it. "A little over a year and a half ago, I discovered that someone was siphoning off funds from my Paris office. They lost well over a half million. Last year, I discovered who it was." She turned to look at him. "It was my former partner, Alexander Thailog."

"That name doesn't sound familiar," Angel said.

"I'm not surprised," she said. "Considering that until 1995, he didn't even exist. Thailog is a clone, a duplicate of my former mate Goliath. He was another of Anton's experiments." She sat back down. "I met Thailog in Paris, sometime after he stole a substantial amount of money from Xanatos. I fell in love with him, but I later discovered that he was interested only in my money. He even tried to replace me with a hybrid clone named Delilah." She looked at Angel before turning her attention back to the video monitor. "I think that Thailog is here in Los Angeles."

"What makes you think that?" Angel asked.

"Last month, I became aware of certain projects that were being planned for this site," she said. "Projects that would need my authorization in order to be implemented. And a few others that I would never okay."

"Such as..."

"The rehiring of Sevarius," Demona said. "He's here in Los Angeles, and where he is, I know that Thailog can't be far behind."

Angel looked at the image of Fang. "And how does he fit into this? Is he working for Thailog?"

"If he is," Demona said. "He's probably in it for the money. From what little I do know about Fang, he was a petty crook before he became a Mutate, and money is about the only thing he cares about."

June 18, 2000 

_10:00 AM_

"Thanks again, Giles," Wesley said. "I'll keep in touch." He hung up the phone.

"So what did Giles have to say?" Angel asked. Following their departure from Nightstone, Angel dropped Demona off at her hotel before returning to his office and began checking up on her.

"Her story about being in Sunnydale last month checks out," Wesley said. "Apparently she was there to recover something that Mayor Wilkins had stolen from her."

"Any idea what it was?" he asked.

"Giles said it was the Jewel of Ragorak," Wesley said.

"Hmm," Angel said. "I wonder what she needed that for?"

"What is it?" Cordelia asked.

"It's part of a gargoyle fertility ritual," Angel said. "It's supposed to ensure male potency."

"Sort of like a gargoyle Viagra," Cordelia quipped.

"Something like that," Angel said.

"Somehow, I don't see her as having that kind of trouble," Cordelia said.

"According to Giles," Wesley said. "Demona told them it was to be an anniversary gift to her daughter."

"That could explain her change of attitude," Angel said. "Last night, she actually cared about what happened to her employees. One of the security guards was killed, leaving a pregnant wife behind. Demona said she'd be cared for."

"Not exactly the human-hating she-demon the Council reports her to be," Wesley said.

"Believe me," Angel said. "Her reputation was well deserved. But it looks like she may have had a change of heart over the past couple of years. Her daughter could be what caused it."

"Motherhood will have that effect on you," Cordelia said. "So, are we taking her case?"

"I don't know," Angel said. "I'm still not sure I trust her." He sat there for a moment before returning his attention to Cordelia and Wesley. "See what you can turn up on her past," he said. "And find out everything you can on her old business partner, Alexander Thailog. I have a feeling there's something here she's not telling us." He got up and grabbed his coat.

"Where are you going?" Cordelia asked.

"I've got a few questions to ask her myself," he said. He headed downstairs.

Dominique Destine's penthouse 

Dominique stepped out of the shower and pulled on the bathrobe before looking at the clock. She still had a few hours before she was to review what happened with the Research Department. Whatever Fang had been after, he apparently hadn't found it, or he had and the department heads were keeping mum about it, which irritated her because she pretty much owned their miserable lives. She stepped out of the bathroom and crossed over to the wardrobe.

"If you ask me," she heard a mocking voice say. "I'd say red is definitely your color."

She spun and caught sight of Fang lounging in the chair. "You!" she snarled. She turned and made a grab for the blaster she had set on the top shelf. She spun around to shoot him when a bolt of energy sent it spinning out of her hand.

"Now is that any way to greet an old cellmate?" he said, putting his hand over his heart and trying to sound hurt.

Dominique massaged her hand, trying to get the feeling back into it and thanking no one in particular that she hadn't lost any fingers. "What do you want, Fang?"

"The boss wants to see you," he said.

"You can tell Thailog that he can go to Hell for all I care," she snarled. "I have no interest in his petty schemes."

"Even if it concerns your company," he taunted.

That caught her attention. "What are you talking about?" she asked, even as she realized what Thailog wanted.

"He wants Nightstone, Demona," Fang said. "And of course the only way he can get it…"

"Is if something rather fatal were to happen to me," Dominique said. She crossed her arms across her chest. "It's a nice plan," she said. "But it's been tried before. In Paris. I'm certain he remembers how that turned out."

"Well, that was because Elisa and Goliath got in the way," Fang said. "And unless I miss my guess, they're back in New York. Getting _really _close, if you know what I mean." He put his hands together and began making kissing noises.

"As if I care," Dominique said through clenched teeth.

"Oh, I can see that you do," Fang said. "It must kill you to see your old hubby running around with someone else. Oh, wait," he said. "That's supposed to be my job."

Dominique dived behind the bed just in time to avoid the blast. There was a big hole in the wardrobe door where she had been standing. She reached between the mattress and box spring for the spare she kept hidden. _Where is it?_

"Are you looking for this?" she heard Fang taunt. She looked up and saw the gun dangling from his finger. He tossed it in the air and blasted it apart. "Oops, sorry."

Dominique snarled as he got out of the chair and walked towards her.

"You know," he continued. "You're just making this hard on yourself. All Thailog wants is your company. Once you're out of the way, he can take over without any trouble. I mean, it's not like you'll be dead or anything. At least not permanently."

"No," Dominique hissed. "Just long enough to have my death confirmed by a coroner. That way, it'll be nice and legal."

"You got it, babe," Fang said. "Now, how do you want it? Quick and painless, or not."

"Not," Dominique said. She grabbed a high-heel shoe and flung it at him.

Fang ducked under the improvised missile, not wanting to get hit in the head by the heel, and that gave Dominique time to race for the door. She was almost hit when Fang threw another blast at her, but she opened the bedroom door just in time and used it to block the blast. The force of the blast sent her tumbling out the door and down the stairs. Fang raced through the ruined door and watched her pick herself up.

"Boy, I love it when a woman plays hard to get," he said gleefully.

Dominique looked up at him and snarled. "While you just play hard to get rid of," she hissed through clenched teeth. She had dislocated her right shoulder in the fall and it hurt like hell. She grimaced as her muscles pulled the joint back into place.

"Man, I bet that hurt," he said. He spread his wings and jumped down. "Want me to massage it and make it all better?"

Dominique eyed him venomously as twin globes of energy formed around his hands.

"I'd like to speak to Ms. Dominique Destine," Kate Lockley said.

The desk clerk gave her a visual once-over and frowned. "And for what may I ask?"

Kate took out her badge and showed it to the clerk. "I'm investigating the break-in at the Nightstone Office Plaza," she said. "Since Ms. Destine owns Nightstone..."

If it was possible, the frown on the clerk's face seemed to grow. "Very well," he said. He picked up the phone and dialed the number to the penthouse.

Fang looked at the phone as it rang. He jumped over to the table and picked up the receiver. "Hello," he said.

The desk clerk pulled the receiver away from his ear and looked at it briefly. "Who is this?" he asked. "Where is Ms. Destine?"

Fang looked at Dominique, who was easing her way back to the stairs up to the bedroom. She had one more thing she could try. "She's in a meetin' right now," Fang said. "And she's not takin' any calls." He hung up the phone and then ripped the cord out of the wall. "Now, where were we?" he said. He turned and saw Dominique bolt up the stairs. He fired another blast at her as she cleared the top stair, and the edge of the blast caught her in the back. She screamed in pain as she went flying into the bedroom. Fang started up the stairs and cracked his knuckles. "As I was saying..."

The desk clerk tried calling her room again. "I don't understand..."

Kate handed him a card. "Call this number," she said. "Tell them I need assistance."

"This is..." he started.

"Now!" she snapped as she raced for the elevator.

Dominique struggled to her feet as Fang approached her from behind. He grabbed her by the arm and pushed her towards the bed.

"You know, Dom," he said. "As much as I enjoy this, we really have to get right down to business. So just hold still and I'll do this as quickly and as painlessly as possible."

Dominique spun and slapped him across the face. "I have no intention of giving up, Fang," she hissed.

"Somehow, I knew you were going to say that," he said. He shoved her backwards onto the bed and charged up for another blast.

Dominique let her momentum carry her across the bed and onto the floor. She rolled until she ended up next to the blaster Fang had shot out of her hand previously and leveled it at him. He ducked as she squeezed the trigger.

"Hey, no fair," he protested. "You're not supposed to fight back."

"Sorry to disappoint," she said, as she readjusted her aim.

Fang headed for the door as Dominique squeezed the trigger again. The blaster sparked and fizzled before shattering in her hand. Fang stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her.

"My turn," he said, grinning.

Dominique had just enough time to throw the remains of the blaster at him before the blast he fired caught her in the chest.

The hairs on the back of Kate's neck stood up in response to the charged feeling in the air. She started to knock on the door to the penthouse when she heard the scream.

"Oh, crap!" she said. Kate put her shoulder to the door and tried without success to force it open. "They would have to have decent locks," she said, pulling out her gun. She fired three shots into the lock and kicked the door open.

Fang turned as he heard the shots being fired. Leaving Dominique where she was, he left the bedroom just in time to see a woman holding a gun kick open the door and race inside.

"Freeze, police!" she commanded, pointing the gun at him.

"I don't think so," Fang said. He turned quickly and raced back into the bedroom. He paused for a moment, considering taking the body with him. The sound of the cop racing up the stairs decided it for him. He took off for the open balcony doors.

Kate entered the room just in time to see Fang leap off the balcony. She raced outside and took careful aim, intending to shoot him in hopes of crippling him, but he got out of range too quickly.

"Damn!" she said. She turned around and caught sight of Dominique's body laying face down on the floor. She quickly ran to her side and carefully turned her over.

There was a large scorch mark on the woman's chest. Kate took out her cellular phone and called for an ambulance even as her fingers sought out a pulse, not surprised when she couldn't find one.

Dominique Destine was dead.

_To be continued..._


	2. Demons and Angels Part Two

Demons and Angels

Part Two

Written by Donald E. Fleming II

Story concept by Donald E. Fleming II

Disclaimer: Original Gargoyles characters are the property of Disney and Buena Vistas Studios. Angel and other related characters are the property of Warner Bros. Other Gargoyle characters are the property of The Gargoyle Saga (TGS) writing staff. All characters are being used without permission of their creators.

Note: This story begins at approximately the same time as Part One of "A Sunnydale Werewolf in Manhattan" and concludes shortly after the start of Part Two, for those continuity freaks out there.

_Previously..._

"How is Angelus?" Demona asked. "I hadn't seen him since Romania."

"Yeah, well, he's not the same bloodthirsty killer he was back in the good ole' days," Spike said. "He ran into some gypsies in Romania who restored his soul."

"A shame," Demona said. "I kind of liked him the way he was. Where is he now?"

"In Los Angeles, believe it or not," Spike said. "Helping the hopeless, as Cordelia likes to say."

_Sunnydale Interlude_

"His name is Fang," she said. "Or at least, that's what he goes by now. I have had… dealings with him in the past."

"You can tell Thailog that he can go to Hell for all I care," she snarled. "I have no interest in his petty schemes."

"Even if it concerns your company," he taunted.

That caught her attention. "What are you talking about?" she asked, even as she realized what Thailog wanted.

"He wants Nightstone, Demona," Fang said. "And of course the only way he can get it…"

"Is if something rather fatal were to happen to me," Dominique said.

There was a large scorch mark on the woman's chest. Kate took out her cellular phone and called for an ambulance even as her fingers sought out a pulse, not surprised when she couldn't find one.

Dominique Destine was dead.

_Demons and Angels Part One_

_June 18, 2000_

_Los Angeles, California_

It took Angel a while to get back to the hotel. Once he got there, he took the service elevator to the top floor and headed towards Dominique's penthouse. As he neared the door, he sensed that something was wrong.

The door was open and as he drew near, he could see that the lock had been shot open. After he rushed inside, he paused as he turned to look at the door again. _Something was definitely wrong if he was able to enter without being invited in._ He looked towards the stairs leading up to the bedroom.

"Demona," he called out. He caught sight of movement beyond the door and rushed up the stairs.

Kate heard him coming up the stairs and went to the door. Angel paused when he saw her.

"Kate, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"I could ask you the same thing," she responded.

"I came to ask her a few questions."

Kate looked over her shoulder towards Dominique's body. She had covered it with a sheet from the bed. "I don't think she'll be answering anyone's questions anymore," she said.

Angel caught sight of the sheet-covered body and brushed past Kate. He quickly went over and knelt by the body. "What happened?" he asked as he pulled the sheet away briefly.

"Fang was here," Kate said. "He killed her."

There was a large scorch mark on Dominique's chest, similar to the one on the guard that Fang had killed at the Nightstone Plaza. Angel put his hand to her throat to check for a pulse. There was none. _Yet. _He gently picked her and walked over to the bed.

"What are you doing?" Kate asked. "There's nothing you can do for her, Angel. She's dead. Fang murdered her."

"Yeah, I know," Angel said as he gently placed Dominique's body onto the bed. "She hates it when that happens."

"What…" Kate started, but then her ears caught the sound of a moan. Her eyes went wide as she saw movement on the bed.

"Wait a minute," she said, stunned. "That's not possible. She was dead a minute ago."

"Yeah, well, that was a minute ago," Angel said. "She should be okay now."

"Who…what is she?" Kate asked.

Angel thought for a moment. "She's an immortal," he said. "She can be killed, but it usually doesn't take her long to get back up again."

"You mean like in 'Highlander'?" she asked. _Great,_ she thought. _That's all I need. First vampires, then demons, and now Mutates and immortals. What's next, gargoyles?_

"Yeah, something like that," Angel said. He turned his attention back to Dominique. "Dominique, can you hear me?" he asked.

She groaned briefly before starting to sit up. "Ohhhh," she moaned as her hand went to her chest. "What happened?" She saw Angel standing over her and almost panicked.

"Easy, Dominique," Angel said as she tried to get up.

Dominique began coughing as her injuries began to heal. She had a feeling she knew just how badly she'd been hurt. The front of her chest was blackened and scorched and she had a feeling that the sternum had been shattered. Her heart had been crisped and portions of her lungs had been cooked to a cinder. She was in a lot of pain. But at least she wasn't dead anymore.

"That miserable, no-good, thieving wretch!" she snarled. Fortunately, Angel was standing in front of her when she said that, otherwise Kate would have seen her eyes flash blood red. "I'm going to tear out his entrails and feast on his heart!"

This was followed by another round of harsh coughing as her lungs continued to regenerate.

"I don't think you'll be doing much of that," Angel said. He paused as he looked back over his shoulder at Kate. "At least not yet," he added.

"Is she going to be okay?" Kate asked. She was still getting used to the fact that the woman who was dead a few moments ago was now alive. Alive, and severely pissed off!

"I think so," Angel said. "She just…"

"I had a little accident, that's all," Dominique quickly put in. "Nothing major. I just…"

"Died," Kate said. "You don't have to lie to me, Ms. Destine. I saw Fang leaving here. I know he murdered you." She looked at the Nightstone exec. "Or at least he tried to. You want to explain to me why?"

"Not particularly, no," she said. She sat up and drew what remained of her bathrobe around her. "If you don't mind, Detective Lockley, I have some things that need to be taken care of, so if you'll excuse me..."

"Detective Lockley!" they heard a voice call out from downstairs. Kate turned and went to the door. She saw several uniformed officers enter the penthouse, weapons drawn. She looked back at Angel and Dominique.

"I suggest you make yourself scarce, Angel," she said. "The last thing I need is to explain what you're doing here, especially after what happened with Faith."

Angel looked towards the balcony. "I've got no way out," he said, indicating the sunlight streaming through the open doors. "Besides which, it's a long way down to the pavement."

"I can cover for him, detective," Dominique said. "Need I remind you that I hired Angel for a job. He has a right to be here."

"I don't think you understand…" Kate started, but then Dominique stood up and glared at her.

"I do not need your approval, detective," she snarled. "As I've said, Angel has a right to be here. You, however, I did not invite in, and I am now asking you to leave!"

"Listen..." Kate started to fire back, but then Angel stepped in between the two, separating them.

"This really isn't the best time for this, ladies," he said. "Kate, believe me. This isn't an argument you're going to win." He then turned to Dominique. "Can you give me a minute alone with her?"

Dominique looked at the detective for a minute. "Fine," she said. She turned and headed for the closet, grabbed a change of clothes and stormed into the bathroom.

"Kate, I know you want to do your job," Angel said as the bathroom door closed. "But believe me, this is something that is way out of your league."

"I'm sure you really believe that," she said. "But that doesn't change the fact that someone just tried to murder her, and that puts me in the game, Angel."

"Kate..." he started, but she quickly cut him off.

"Now I understand that there's some kind of history between the two of you," she said. "But if you really want to help her, you'll let me do my job."

"She doesn't need your help, Kate," Angel said.

"Fang just tried to kill her!"

"She can't be killed," Angel said. "She's immortal, remember?" Angel paused as he looked towards the door, hearing the officers downstairs heading up towards the bedroom.

"She may be immortal," Kate said. "But the rest of us aren't. What happens if Fang tries again while she's at Nightstone or out having dinner in some crowded restaurant?"

"All the more reason for the police not to get involved," Angel said. "Do you think the LAPD is capable of handling Fang on their own? You saw what happened to that guard at Nightstone. Just imagine what would happen if he cut loose on an entire SWAT team, Kate. They'd never stand a chance."

"Well, that all depends on who gets the in first shot, now doesn't it," Kate said. "She may be immortal, but I'm betting Fang isn't. All I would need is one clear shot..."

"Detective," she heard someone call out. She turned to see a uniformed officer standing in the doorway, his weapon drawn and trained on Angel.

"It's okay, Hanson," she said. "I've got things under control up here." She waited until the officer holstered his weapon before continuing. "Go back downstairs. I'll be with you in a minute." When the officer left, she turned her attention back to Angel. "Listen," she said pointedly. "Personally, I don't give a damn about what's going on between the two of you. But I've got a job to do, and the last thing I need is for you to get in my way."

"Kate, listen..." he started.

"No, you listen," she snapped. "Ever since we met, my life has been turned upside down by you, and I'm sick of it. I should just lock you up and throw away the key, especially after you tried to hide a known fugitive like Faith. But as much as I'd like to, I can't, because I've got nothing to hold you on. Yet." She paused, looking at the bathroom door. "But if you get in my way again, I swear to God I will. And I'll make certain that the cell they throw you in has a nice eastern exposure, so you can watch the sun rise."

Angel watched as Kate turned and left the bedroom, pausing for a moment to consider her words before heading over to the bathroom. He cautiously knocked on the door.

"Demona?" he said, making certain no one else heard him.

The door opened as he gave it a slight push. He looked in and saw the gargoyle-turned-human by the sink, bracing her hands on the vanity as she waited for her injuries to fully heal.

"By the Dragon, I hate getting killed," she moaned.

"I know the feeling," he said.

She looked over at him for a moment. "I heard what she said to you, Angel. I get the feeling there are some unresolved issues between the two of you."

"She hates me," Angel said.

"Why?"

"She blames me for the death of her father," he said.

"Did you..."

"No," he said. "He was on the take, but he didn't know that the guys he was working with were vampires. When I started getting too close to what they were doing..." He paused, looking in the mirror at Dominique's reflection, since he no longer had one. "They took him out, and I wasn't able to stop them."

"And so she blames you," Dominique said.

"She has a right to," Angel said. "I tried to save him, but I couldn't."

"If he wouldn't invite you in, there wasn't much you could do," she said.

"I should have done more," Angel said.

Dominique turned and looked at him. _He's changed so much from the vampire I met in that cave long ago, _she thought. _When I taught Jenna's grandmother that spell, I did it out of anger and a lust for revenge. Now it looks like I've given him a chance at redemption, the same chance I've been given. _"Angel, you cannot blame yourself for things that are beyond your control. You tried to save him, but you couldn't. It is time to put that behind you."

"Strange sentiment, coming from you," he said.

"I've made my share of mistakes in the past, I'll admit," she said. "But I am trying to make up for them."

"You could start by telling me what this is really all about," Angel said.

"Very well," Dominique said. She let out a heavy sigh, grimacing for a moment as she felt a slight twinge, then leaned back against the vanity. "It all started in Paris, five years ago..."

_Los Angeles Police Department_

Kate sat at her desk and looked at the security photo of Fang one more time. _Something about this just doesn't make sense, _she thought. And she hated it when things didn't make sense. She looked at the newspaper clipping of Dominique Destine. _There's something else you're not telling me,_ she thought. _You're hiding something, but what?_ She set down the pictures and picked up the phone. _There's one way to find out._ She dialed a number and waited. Finally, someone on the other end picked up.

"Hello, 23rd Precinct, Manhattan? This is Detective Kate Lockley in Los Angeles. Can you connect me to Detective Matt Bluestone?" She picked up the picture of Dominique Destine again. _What are you hiding?_ she wondered as she waited.

"Detective Bluestone," she finally heard Matt say.

"Matt, it's Kate," she said.

"Kate?"

"Kate Lockley," she said. "Detective. LAPD. We worked together on the Rorshenko bust back in '93 while you were still with the F.B.I."

"I remember," Matt said. "What can I do for you? I assume this isn't a social call."

"It's not," Kate said hesitantly. "I need some information on a couple of individuals."

"Okay, shoot," Matt said.

"The first is Steven Fisher," she said, using the name Dominique Destine had reluctantly provided her. "He used to be a small time crook in New York."

"Steven Fisher?" she heard Matt say. "That name sounds familiar."

"He goes by the name Fang now," Kate said. "I don't know if you're aware of this, but…"

"Yeah, I know about him," Matt said. "So he's finally come out of hiding. We've been wondering what happened to him."

"We?" Kate asked.

"The NYPD," Matt said. "Most of us know about Fang. We've been keeping an eye out for him ever since he disappeared back in '96. I take it he's out there now."

"Yeah," she said. "Listen, Matt. I'm going to need all the info you can give me on this guy. Normal crooks I can handle, but with all the weirdness that's been cropping up lately…"

"What kind of weirdness?" Matt asked.

"I could tell you some stories, pal," she said. "I really need this favor, Matt. I know you're probably still sore about what happened after we brought down Rorshenko, but like I said, I really need this info. I don't like the idea of this freak job flying around my city, and I mean that in the literal sense. I've got enough to deal with as it is."

"I'll see what I can do," he said. "You said you need info on a couple of individuals. Who's the other one?"

Kate paused, looking at the photo. "A woman. Redhead, about 35 years old. Seems she may have a prior history with Fang."

"What's her name?" Matt asked.

"Dominique Destine," she said.

There was a long pause, and Kate wondered if Matt was still listening to her. She could swear she heard him talking to someone else. "Matt, are you still there?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm here," he said. "Listen, are you sure about this? I'm not saying that it's not her, but..."

"Matt, is something wrong?" she asked. "Is there something I should know?"

"Well," she heard him start hesitantly. _Oh, please,_ she thought. _Don't tell me the two of you are involved..._ "Ms. Destine is kind of a...unique...individual," she heard him say finally.

Kate quickly looked around, making sure no one else was in earshot. "I kind of figured that out for myself," she said.

"What happened?" Matt asked.

"Fang killed her," Kate said bluntly. "And about five minutes later..."

"She was walking around, as if nothing had happened?" Matt said.

"Not quite," Kate said. "She was wanting to rip his guts out is what she wanted to do."

"Yikes," Matt said.

"I'm guessing you've seen it for yourself, then," Kate said.

"No," Matt said. "But my partner has." She heard him pause then. "Listen, Kate," he said. "I'll send you what I can, but to be perfectly honest, this is probably something you'd want to steer clear of. Dominique Destine is not someone whose bad side you want to get on. Believe me, I've seen her bad side for myself."

"You know," she said. "You're the second person who's told me that. If I didn't know better, I'd swear there was something you and Angel aren't telling me."

"Angel?"

"He's a...private investigator," Kate said. "At least that's what he tells people."

"Do you want me to try to dig up some info on him?" Matt asked.

"No," Kate said. "I already know everything I want to know about him."

"Okay, Kate," Matt said. "I'll get on this as soon as possible."

"Thanks, Matt," she said.

"Anytime," he said.

"And, Matt?" she quickly said.

"Yeah?"

"It was good to hear your voice again," she said.

There was a long pause. "Yours too, Kate," she heard him say finally before she heard him hang up. She set down the phone and sat back, pausing for a minute to pick up the picture of Dominique Destine.

_What are you hiding? _she thought.

_Angel Investigations_

"You do realize that it's a lost cause," Wesley said.

"Says you," Cordelia said.

"And I happen to be right," Wesley said. "I mean, just look at it. It's ruined."

Cordelia looked at the ruined jacket. "I don't know. With a couple of stitches..."

"I'd say that it needs more than a few stitches," Wesley said. "It would be cheaper to simply buy another jacket."

"Are you kidding?" Cordelia said. "Do you know how much something like this costs?"

"I couldn't even begin to imagine," Wesley said.

"Imagine what?" Angel asked as he came in. He paused as he saw Cordelia fussing over the suit jacket. "Isn't that..."

"Ms. Destine's," Cordelia said. "I was hoping that it can be fixed."

"Why?" Angel asked. He went over and lifted up one of the tattered sleeves. "I mean, it's completely ruined, Cordelia. There's not much else you can do with it except toss it."

"Are you kidding?" she gasped. "Throw away this..."

"Rag," Wesley quipped.

"It's not a rag," Cordelia said. "It's a very expensive suit jacket that's...well...been well worn."

"I'd say it's more than a little 'well worn'," Wesley said. "Demona transformed from a human to a gargoyle while she was still wearing it. I can only imagine what her clothing bill must be like."

"Okay," Cordelia said. "So it's a bit abused. It'll still make for a great momento of the case."

"Speaking of which..." Wesley started. "What have you found out?"

"The whole thing started in Paris," Angel said. "About five years ago. That's where she met Thailog." He turned his attention to Cordelia. "Were you able to turn up anything on him?"

"Not much," Cordelia said. "Just the usual PR stuff Nightstone Unlimited had on him before he went missing. No birth records, no driver's license. The guy was even more reclusive than Howard Hughes." She paused. "Which is probably what you'd expect to find on a guy that just popped up out of nowhere within the last five years."

"That seems to bear out Demona's assertion that Thailog is a clone," Wesley said. "But I am still curious as to where he came from."

"Demona told me he was created by David Xanatos," Angel said. "An experiment that didn't turn out quite as planned."

"Apparently not," Wesley said.

"Demona was a little sketchy on how she ended up in Paris," Angel said. "There's a gap in her memory which she claims was caused by the Weird Sisters."

"Excuse me?" Cordelia said.

"I've heard of them," Wesley said. He went over to the bookcase and retrieved one of the heavier volumes. He flipped through several pages until he found what he was looking for. "Here we are. It says that they are three of the Children of Oberon, a trio of women who act as his messengers and are supposed to be guardians to the gates of Avalon." He looked up at Angel. "Why would they become involved with Demona?"

"Demona didn't tell me," Angel said. "But she did say that they were the ones who granted her immortality."

"Nice gift," Cordelia said.

"Not really," Angel said. "One condition of the spell is that her life is eternally bound to Macbeth's, sharing each others pain until one of them kills the other."

"Macbeth?" Cordelia asked. "Like in the play? That Macbeth?"

"Yeah," Angel said. "He's a real person. Nothing like the character in the play, though." He looked at the book Wesley had opened before continuing. "Anyway, when Demona met Thailog in Paris, she apparently fell in love with him, which enabled him to take advantage of her. He came up with a plan to have her make Macbeth fall in love with her in her human form so that they could get control of his wealth. After nine hundred years, both Macbeth and Demona had amassed sizable fortunes, so Thailog saw it as an opportunity to add to what he had stolen from Xanatos earlier."

"Typical male," Cordelia snorted.

Angel tried to ignore that, though it did throw him off a bit. Wesley picked up on Angel's hesitation. "Is that when the two of them formed Nightstone Unlimited?"

"Yes," Angel said. "Demona and Thailog combined their wealth, intending to add Macbeth's after Demona married him and arranged for him to disappear, planning to have him declared legally dead some time later. Thailog had other ideas. He gave Macbeth a weapon, hoping that the two of them would kill each other so he could get sole control of Nightstone."

"I don't get it," Cordelia said. "Why would Demona and Macbeth want to kill each other?"

"They used to hate each other," Angel said. "He blamed her for betraying him to Prince Canmore and the English in 1057, and she was convinced that he was going to do the same thing to her, even though they were allies at the time."

"Nine hundred years," Cordelia said. "Long time to hold a grudge."

"When you're an immortal like Demona and Macbeth," Wesley said. "Sometimes, that is all you have to look forward to." He looked at Angel. "You said 'used to hate each other'," he said. "Have they finally come to terms with one another?"

"It looks like it," Angel said. "Demona didn't go into specifics about when they put an end to their feud, but I'm guessing it happened recently."

"Good for them," Cordelia said. "Nice to know that some people can put the past behind them."

Angel knew that Cordelia was referring to the recent tension between both himself and Kate Lockley that resulted from the series of incidents involving both Faith and the death of Kate's father. _And now, with Kate caught square in the middle of things again..._ "I'll be downstairs if anyone needs me," he said. He headed for his office, pausing for a minute to consider the suit jacket Cordelia was still fussing over. "I still think..." he started as she draped it over her arm.

A business card fell out and fluttered to the floor.

Cordelia paused to pick it up. "Whoops," she said as she picked it up. "Looks like she forgot something in her pocket." Then she looked at the card. "Uh, oh."

That caught Angel's attention. "What?" he asked.

"Looks like she's still keeping things from you," Cordelia said as she handed the card to Angel. The vampire took it and his face went dark as he read it.

"What is it?" Wesley asked.

"Demona's working with Wolfram and Hart," Angel said.

_Wolfram and Hart_

Lilah Morgan was on her way across the lobby when her cell phone rang. She quickly answered it. "Hello?"

"Ms. Morgan, this is Holland Manners," came the voice on the other end. "I'd like to see you in my office as soon as you get in."

She paused for a moment. "Of course," she said, slightly nervous. The recent incidents involving Angel had left a blemish on her record. She kept wondering when she was going to be 'terminated' for the mistakes. She looked up at the security cameras. _He must know I'm already in the building, _she thought. She suppressed a sigh. "I'll be right up."

"Good," Holland said. "Don't keep us waiting."

Lilah looked down at the phone as she heard Holland break the connection. She put the phone back into her purse, pausing for a minute to touch the small revolver she had recently begun carrying with her before heading for the elevator

_Holland Manners' office_

She paused outside the door, taking a deep breath before opening it and going inside.

"Ah, Lilah," Holland said as she entered. "Good, so nice of you to join us." He paused as he turned to a figure seated in a chair. "I want to introduce you to an old friend of mine." He got up and walked over to her as the figure turned in the chair. "Lilah Morgan, I'd like to introduce you to Doctor Anton Savarius."

"Hello," she said nervously.

"Enchanté, mademoiselle," Sevarius said as he took her hand and kissed the back of it. "It is so good to make your acquaintance. Holland has told so much about you."

"Thank you," she said before turning to Holland. "But I don't understand..."

"I'm assigning you to handle a few legal matters," he said. "Anton is here on behalf of a patient who is in need of a few 'specialized' services."

"I see," she said. "And his patient's name is..."

"Alexander Thailog," Holland said. "He was part owner of..."

"Nightstone Unlimited," Lilah said quickly as she recognized the name. "But I thought he disappeared..."

"There was a...'misunderstanding'...between himself and his partner, Dominique Destine," Sevarius said. "Suffice it to say, the unpleasantness that followed left him somewhat less than whole."

"Right now, Mr. Thailog is under Anton's care until he can recuperate," Holland said. "Once he has recovered, he will be needing our services to help him resume control of Nightstone once Ms. Destine is taken out of the picture."

"As in..." Lilah started, but she already knew what Holland was referring to. "Understood."

"Good," Holland said. He stepped over to Sevarius. "I have a few things to discuss with Ms. Morgan. If you will excuse us?"

"Of course, Holland," Sevarius said. "It was good to see you again." He got out of the chair and headed for the door. After he was gone, Holland closed the door and turned towards Lilah. "So, what do you think?" he asked.

"He's a bit creepy," Lilah said. "Reminds me of that crazy Dr. Frank N. Furter from 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show'." She looked at the door. "He doesn't..."

"Not to my knowledge," Holland said as he went back to his desk. "But with Anton, you can never tell." He sat down and looked at her. "I want you to give this your full attention, Lilah. No slip-ups like the last time."

"I'll do my best, Mr. Manners," she said.

"Actually, I expect more than that," Holland said. "So you better be prepared." He paused to take a file out of his desk drawer. "This is all we have on Ms. Destine and her past associates."

Lilah looked at the thick file before picking it up. "Looks extensive," she said. "I'll get right on this." She turned to leave.

"And, Lilah," Holland quickly said. When the young woman paused to look back at him, he added. "Next time, I would prefer that you not come into my office with a gun in your purse."

Lilah blanched slightly. "Yes, sir," she said as she left.

As soon as the door closed, Holland turned to look at the shadows. "I think the senior partners will be pleased."

A figure stepped out of the shadows. "They have a lot invested in this. And I don't think they'll take to kindly to another failure."

"Don't worry, Garlon," Holland said. "As soon as Demona is out of the way, we'll be one step closer to releasing Maeve from Avalon."

"You better be right about this," Garlon said. Holland turned away for a moment, and when he turned back, Garlon had disappeared.

_Dominique's penthouse_

_Sunset_

Dominique Destine paced back and forth in her bedroom, waiting for sunset. She paused as she looked towards the balcony. _At least, they're giving me some privacy, _she thought bitterly. Two cops were downstairs, guarding her, with several more out in the hallway. _Her idea, _she thought, remembering the heated conversation she had had with Detective Lockley after Angel left. When she told Kate she didn't need protection, the detective had told her it was more to protect the hotel staff than her. She muttered at that, then let it pass. _No sense letting it bother me, _she thought. _It's not as if they're going to be able to keep me here. _She stopped pacing as she saw the sun begin to dip below the horizon, then quickly shed her housecoat and staggered as she felt the change take hold. Her body altered radically as it underwent the painful transformation from human to gargoyle, and she had to fight to suppress the scream that was building up in her throat.

After the change was over, she sagged against the bed for a minute before getting up and heading for the dresser. Putting on her usual 'evening attire', Demona went over to the bedroom door, which the hotel staff had finished replacing several hours ago, and carefully set her ear against it, listening carefully for any indication that her 'bodyguards' were on their way upstairs. Smiling to herself when she heard nothing, she carefully locked the door, noting for a moment that if anything were to happen, she was going to have a hard time explaining her disappearance if they felt the need to check on her.

Setting the thought aside, she went to the balcony doors and opened them, pausing for a moment to look out across the city. _Not much has changed since the last time I was here, _she thought to herself. _Of course, knowing that Angel is here puts a whole new spin on things. Now I have a chance to set things right between us._

Taking a deep breath, she stepped out onto the balcony and launched herself out into the night. Back in her bedroom, the phone began ringing.

_Somewhere in the Hollywood Hills..._

"You were supposed to bring her here!" Thailog bellowed with rage.

"Look, I'm sorry," Fang said. "What was I supposed to do? Let that dumb cop shoot me while I'm trying to carry the body? I panicked, okay? I won't make the same mistake twice."

"You bet you won't," Thailog said menacingly. He started to advance on the fugitive Mutate as fast as his damaged body would allow him. "I should have known better than to think you could be of any use to me."

"Hey, c'mon," Fang protested. "I tried. Besides, for all we know, she's on a slab at the county coroner's office right now."

"Not very likely," they heard a voice say. They turned to see Anton Sevarius enter the room. "Ms. Destine's recuperative powers are quite phenomenal. The chances of her not regaining consciousness before the medical examiner arrived are quite slim. And since there has been no word on the news about her death, we can assume that she did."

"I'll bet it gave that cop quite a scare," Fang said.

"Without a doubt," Sevarius said. He turned to Thailog. "I have good news, by the way. I talked with my good friend, Holland Manners, and he has agreed to help us."

"Excellent," Thailog said. "I knew that keeping ties with Wolfram and Hart would be in my best interest."

"Yes," Sevarius said. "Although, I must admit that there is something I suspect Holland is not telling me about his firm's 'senior partners'. I've heard some rather disturbing news of late about them."

"Such as..." Thailog asked.

Sevarius smiled. "Nothing that need worry you, my boy," he said. "Just a few mutterings I heard about someone called Angel. It's nothing that concerns us."

"I wonder," Thailog said.

_Angel Investigations_

Angel hung up the phone.

"No answer?" Cordelia asked.

"No answer," Angel said.

"Great," she said. "So what do we do now?"

"We should confront her," Wesley said. "Let her know we know about her connection to Wolfram and Hart."

"Hold on," Cordelia said quickly. "Let's not jump the gun here, Wes." She held up the business card. "This could have been planted on her. You know, someone who knew she was coming here."

"But who would have known?" Wesley said. "Don't forget, this is Demona we are talking about. She is a powerful sorceress. She may even have helped Wolfram and Hart acquire some of the mystical objects..."

The door opened, and Wesley quickly closed his mouth as he turned to see Dominique Destine enter the office. Once the door closed, she dropped the illusion she was wearing, revealing the azure gargess.

"Am I interrupting something?" she asked.

"No, no," Cordelia said, setting aside the jacket. "We were just discussing..."

"What's your connection to Wolfram and Hart?" Angel asked bluntly.

The question seemed to faze Demona only slightly, though Cordelia shot a horrified look at Angel. "They were my attorneys when Thailog and I decided to expand some of our operations out here," Demona said matter-of-factly. "Why? What does my past association with Wolfram and Hart have anything to do with..."

"Why did you see fit to withhold this little bit of information?" Wesley challenged.

"It wasn't important," Demona said bluntly. "Besides, I broke my ties with Wolfram and Hart two years ago after I learned they'd had dealings with Maddox Technologies."

"Because of conflict-of-interest issues?" Angel asked.

"In a way," Demona said. "It had more to do with the fact that Nicholas Maddox and his associate Mavis O'Connor were both members of the Unseelie Court, better known as Madoc Morfryn and Maeve." Her eyes flashed blood red at that point. "They kidnapped my daughter and tried to force her to tell them how to get to Avalon so they could overthrow Oberon and seize control of the world. In their war, they killed dozens of gargoyles, and my daughter almost ended up being one of their last victims."

"I thought that was only a rumor," Angel said. "I mean, I heard that something had happened, but I couldn't imagine..."

"It happened," Demona said. "And fortunately, Madoc failed in his quest. I personally saw to that." She remembered that moment, a little over a year ago, when she had swooped down on Madoc, striking him with the iron mace that ended his life, and brought an end to the Second Unseelie War. _And if not for one human's selfless act of courage, I would have lost my daughter, _she thought, remembering Elisa, laying in bed, dying from the elfshot Madoc had meant for Angela... She sighed heavily as she set the memories aside. "During the dissolution of Maddox Technologies, I learned of their connection to Wolfram and Hart. I immediately broke off all relations with them." She crossed her arms. "They weren't happy about it, but they didn't have much of a choice in the matter." She looked at Angela. "Why do you ask? And how did you find out in the first place?"

Cordelia held out the small business card. "This fell out of your jacket pocket," she said. Demona took the card and looked at it.

"Wolfram and Hart's been giving us some trouble lately," Angel said.

"Their clientele has been rather 'questionable'," Wesley added.

"Questionable in what way, if I might ask?"

"Vampires, demons," Wesley said. "And if you are correct about their connection to the Unseelie, it seems we can add them to the list."

"I was going to give Holland a call and ask him if he's had any word from Thailog or Sevarius." She crumpled it up in her hand. "I guess I won't be now."

"Holland?" Angel asked.

"Holland Manners," Demona said. "He's the one who handled things for myself and Thailog." She sighed. "I guess I should have known any that would deal with Sevarius would be less than trustworthy."

"How does he know Sevarius?" Wesley asked.

"Anton never told me," Demona said. "He liked to keep his secrets."

"It doesn't really matter," Wesley said. "If Anton Sevarius has ties to Wolfram and Hart, then it is possible that Thailog may ally himself with them for whatever diabolical plan he has in store."

"He's after Nightstone," Demona said.

"Are you sure?" Angel asked.

"Fang told me as much," she said. "Right before he killed me."

"When did this happen?" Cordelia asked. "And who's Fang?"

"Earlier today," Angel said. "Fang broke into her penthouse and killed her, just like he killed that security guard last night."

"I'm guessing he was going to take my corpse back to Thailog," Demona said. "But I don't know why. Thailog knows that any attempt to kill me will only be temporary."

"Maybe he's planning to do the same thing to you that you were going to do to Macbeth," Cordelia offered.

"I sincerely doubt that," Demona said, not surprised by Cordelia's statement. _Obviously, he told them what I told him, _she thought. "Thailog is too clever to use such an obvious ploy. He knows that I'll expect it. And at any rate, I've already made certain 'arrangements' should anything 'permanent' happen to me."

"Like what?" Cordelia asked. "What kind of arrangements?"

"Angela, my daughter, will get full control of Nightstone in the event of my death," Demona said. "I originally formed Nightstone with Thailog as a means to an end. A way to finally rid the world of humanity by using the resources of Nightstone to create a bio-engineered virus."

"Good Lord!" Wesley started.

Demona raised her hand. "I was stopped, as you can no doubt imagine, and I have since come to realize that while the world is filled with humans who should be wiped out, there are those who don't deserve that fate."

"Such as..." Wesley started.

"The Slayer, for one," Demona said. "I see great potential in her." She looked at Angel. "I'm certain you've seen it for yourself."

"Yes," Angel said.

"I also owe my daughter's life to another human," Demona said. "A New York City Police detective named Elisa Maza. She saved Angela's life a few years ago when she fell victim to the Hunters, and last year she nearly lost her life saving Angela's when Madoc tried to kill her." She shuddered slightly. "She took an elfshot arrow meant for Angela."

"Elfshot?" Wesley asked. "You said Detective Maza 'almost' lost her life. I was under the impression that there is no cure for elfshot, and any injury sustained would ultimately prove fatal."

"You are correct," Demona said. "When elfshot strikes, the cost is a mortal life. And a mortal did die, only it wasn't her."

"I don't..." Wesley started.

"I have access to certain magical talismans," Demona said. "Don't forget that I am a sorceress. I used one to save her life, at the cost of my own."

"I think I understand why," Angel said. "A debt needed to be repaid."

"Precisely," Demona said. "I doubt I will ever be able to repay the debt in full, but it is enough that I no longer view her as an enemy."

"Well, hopefully you can extend that to the rest of us humans," Cordelia said. "Because I for one have enough hassles in my life as it is."

"I can imagine," Demona said.

_Los Angeles Police Department_

"What do you mean, 'she's gone'?" Kate yelled into the phone.

"Just what I said," the officer on the other end replied. "She's gone. When she didn't answer the phone, I went upstairs to check on her and she wasn't up there."

"Was there any sign of forced entry?" Kate asked.

"We didn't see anyone try to come in through the front door," the officer said. "My partner and I were downstairs the whole time."

"I don't mean through the front door," she said. "I meant..." She paused as she considered her next words. "Did you check the balcony doors and the skylight to see if anyone broke in that way?"

"Well," she heard the officer say, and she could practically see him rubbing the back of his neck. "The balcony doors _were _open, but I don't see how she could have gotten out that way. I mean, it's a hell of a drop down to the pavement."

"No sign that someone forced their way in?" she asked.

"Nope," the officer said. "But I still don't see how..."

"Henderson, listen," she said. "What I'm going to tell you may sound incredible, but it's the truth. The guy who tried to grab her earlier today got out the same way he got in. He flew out."

"You're kidding," Henderson said.

"I'm not," Kate said. "The guy's name is Steven Fisher, but he prefers to use the name Fang. A few years ago, he was...experimented on...by a geneticist by the name of Anton Sevarius. Sevarius altered his body, turned him into something that was no longer human."

"Holy..."

"I know," Kate said. "At first, I couldn't believe it myself until...until I got a good look at him. And Ms. Destine is the one who told me about him in the first place." She paused, hoping that the cop on the other end believed her. "Henderson, I need you to go over that place again. She's got to be somewhere in the area. After all, it's not as if she..." She paused as the thought struck her.

"Detective?" Henderson asked as he waited for her to continue.

"Yeah," she said quickly. "Listen, I'll be over there in a little while. There's something I need to check on first." She hung up the phone. She considered calling Matt Bluestone a second time, but shoved that thought aside. _There was something he didn't want to tell me about Dominique Destine,_ she thought. _And she and Angel have a history together. Could it be that what she's hiding is the fact that she's not entirely human herself? _

June 19, 2000

23rd Precinct

Manhattan

Matt Bluestone paused as he sat down, looking towards Captain Chavez's office.

"Is something wrong, Matt?" his partner asked.

Matt looked over at Elisa. "It's nothing," he said. "Just got a call a little while ago from a...an old friend. Someone I knew when I was still with the FBI."

"Is it something serious?" Elisa asked.

Matt considered telling her. "Nah," he said, not wanting to add to her worries. He knew the attacks in the Labyrinth were still on her mind. Goliath and Talon had caught something down in the tunnels, but Elisa hadn't told him precisely what it was yet. "Kate just needed a little...info...on a case we worked on a while back."

"Kate?" Elisa asked.

"Kate Lockley," Matt admitted. "She's a detective out in Los Angeles." Matt smiled at Elisa. "I think you'd like her. She's got a lot of spunk."

"Great," Elisa said. She paused as she heard her phone ring and quickly picked it up. "23rd Precinct. Detective Maza speaking." She paused for a moment. "Are you sure about that, Derek? Well, I guess that does let Sevarius off the hook, doesn't it?"

The mention of Sevarius' name caught Matt attention for a moment, but then he saw Captain Chavez heading for her office. As much as he wanted to hear what was going on in the Labyrinth, he needed to talk to Maria. He got up and headed for her as he caught the tail end of Elisa's conversation with her brother. "Yeah, I'll tell the guys tonight, Derek." Another pause. "What did you say his name was?" she asked. "Oz?"

"Captain, can I talk to you for a minute?" Matt asked.

"Sure, detective," she said as she entered her office. Matt followed her in and waited until she sat down. "What can I do for you?"

"I need to take off for a few days," Matt said.

"Why?" Maria asked.

"I got a call from an old friend out in Los Angeles," Matt said. "She needs a little help on a case she's working on."

"She's a cop?" Maria asked.

"Yeah," Matt said. "Her name is Kate Lockley. She's a detective with the LAPD."

"Her own people can't help her?" she asked.

"She said that the case is a little bizarre," Matt said.

"Bizarre in what way?" Maria asked. "Are there gargoyles out in Los Angeles?"

"She didn't say," Matt admitted, then thought of something. "She did say she might have a lead on someone we've been looking for for a while. Steven Fisher."

That caught Maria's attention. "Okay," she said. "But I can only spare you for a few days, Bluestone. And I want you to check in when you get out there. I don't want you pulling a disappearing act like the last time. I get enough of that from your partner as it is."

"Understood, captain," Matt said. He left the office and headed for his desk. He paused for a moment to look at Elisa's vacated chair. _Must be on her way home already, _he thought, realizing that it was the end of the shift. _Oh well, I'll ask her what's been going on when I get back. _He sat down at his desk and opened the bottom drawer, pulling out a file. He set the file on the desk as he picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"This is Detective Matt Bluestone," he said after he heard someone answer. "When is your next flight to Los Angeles?"

Angel Investigations

"So how should we proceed?" Wesley asked. "If Thailog and Sevarius have allied themselves with Wolfram and Hart, then we could be in for a great deal of trouble."

"The first thing we do is figure out where Thailog is," Angel said. He looked to Demona. "Any ideas?"

"Several, in fact," she said. "Thailog will be someplace isolated, away from prying eyes. When he abducted my daughter last year, he hid out in one of our old abandoned warehouses. And while I sold off several of Nightstone's West Coast holdings to distance ourselves from the black market for more legitimate practices some time ago, I am certain that Thailog managed to keep a few secret from me so he could make use of them later."

"Well, that's a start," Angel said.

"You might want to look into anyplace near medical supply warehouses," Demona said.

"Why?" Wesley asked. "If you don't mind my asking?"

"Thailog was crippled in a fire years ago," Demona said. "It was during a 'disagreement' that I had believed resulted in his death." She looked at Angel. "I guess you didn't have a chance to tell them everything."

"I wanted to see if your story would pan out first," Angel said.

"Of course," Demona said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"How badly was Thailog crippled?" Wesley asked.

"Rather severely," Demona replied, this time with a hint of satisfaction in her voice. "He has extensive scarring on his body, and his wings are completely useless now. He can't even walk properly without the use of his cane. And there is one other thing for which I am very happy."

"What's that?" Cordelia asked.

"He suffers a great deal of pain when he enters the stone sleep," she said. "It is the one thing that makes my own transformations bearable."

"You seem to be taking a great deal of satisfaction in his suffering," Wesley said.

"I have every right to," Demona retorted. "He used me, betrayed me. He's tried to kill me and my daughter on several occasions, and he siphoned funds from my company from under my nose. I think I have every right to see him suffer for what he's done."

"That may be," Wesley said. "But still..."

"I don't think that's an argument you're going to win, Wes," Angel said. "When it comes to retribution, Demona's got it down to an art."

"Very well," Wesley said. "So, I guess we begin by checking to see if any medical supply warehouses have reported any thefts in recent weeks."

"That would be a good start," Angel said. "Cordelia..."

"On it," Cordelia said. She quickly went to her desk and began pulling up entries on the computer. "Okay, we've got several possibilities over the past few weeks."

"Where at?" Angel asked.

"Let's see," she said. Focusing her attention on the screen, she wrote down several addresses. Demona noted that one was close by.

"What was stolen?" she asked.

"Morphine, Codeine...painkillers, mostly," she said. "You did say that Thailog was in a lot of pain."

"Yes," Demona said. "And those would be what he would use to help alleviate the pain. When were the items stolen?"

"Last week," Cordelia said. "According to this, the guard said he didn't see who stole the stuff. But he did say that whoever it was, tore a big hole in the roof."

"Sounds like Fang's handiwork," Demona said. "I think we should..."

"We should what?" they heard a voice behind them say. They turned and found Kate Lockley standing by the door, with her gun in her hand.

"Kate," Angel said.

"Care to explain what's going on?" she asked. She paused as she turned her attention towards Demona. "And what she's doing here?"

Angel turned towards the azure gargess. "This is..." he started.

"I know exactly who she is," Kate said. "Or maybe I should say who she's pretending to be. A creature who pretends to be human so she can prey on unsuspecting innocents, just like you, Angel." She turned her attention back to Demona and raised the gun, pointing it straight at her. "Am I right, Ms. Destine?"

To be concluded...


	3. Demons and Angels Part Three

Demons and Angels

Part Three

Written by Donald E. Fleming II

Story concept by Donald E. Fleming II

Disclaimer: Original Gargoyles characters are the property of Disney and Buena Vistas Studios. Angel and other related characters are the property of Warner Bros. Other Gargoyle characters are the property of The Gargoyle Saga (TGS) writing staff. All characters are being used without permission of their creators.

Note: This story begins at approximately the same time as Part One of "A Sunnydale Werewolf in Manhattan" and concludes shortly after the start of Part Two, for those continuity freaks out there.

_Previously..._

"There's nothing you can do for her, Angel. She's dead. Fang murdered her."

"Yeah, I know," Angel said as he gently placed Dominique's body onto the bed. "She hates it when that happens."

"What…" Kate started, but then her ears caught the sound of a moan. Her eyes went wide as she saw movement on the bed.

"Wait a minute," she said, stunned. "That's not possible. She was dead a minute ago."

"Yeah, well, that was a minute ago," Angel said. "She should be okay now."

"Who…what is she?" Kate asked.

"You said you need info on a couple of individuals. Who's the other one?"

Kate paused, looking at the photo. "A woman. Redhead, about 35 years old. Seems she may have a prior history with Fang."

"What's her name?" Matt asked.

"Dominique Destine," she said.

There was a long pause, and Kate wondered if Matt was still listening to her. She could swear she heard him talking to someone else. "Matt, are you still there?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm here," he said. "Listen, are you sure about this? I'm not saying that it's not her, but..."

"Matt, is something wrong?" she asked. "Is there something I should know?"

"Well," she heard him start hesitantly. _Oh, please,_ she thought. _Don't tell me the two of you are involved..._ "Ms. Destine is kind of a...unique...individual," she heard him say finally.

Kate quickly looked around, making sure no one else was in earshot. "I kind of figured that out for myself," she said.

"Looks like she's still keeping things from you," Cordelia said as she handed the card to Angel. The vampire took it and his face went dark as he read it.

"What is it?" Wesley asked.

"Demona's working with Wolfram and Hart," Angel said.

"I'm assigning you to handle a few legal matters," he said. "Anton is here on behalf of a patient who is in need of a few 'specialized' services."

"I see," she said. "And his patient's name is..."

"Alexander Thailog," Holland said.

"Henderson, I need you to go over that place again. She's got to be somewhere in the area. After all, it's not as if she..." She paused as the thought struck her.

"Detective?" Henderson asked as he waited for her to continue.

"Yeah," she said quickly. "Listen, I'll be over there in a little while. There's something I need to check on first." She hung up the phone. She considered calling Matt Bluestone a second time, but shoved that thought aside. _There was something he didn't want to tell me about Dominique Destine,_ she thought. _And she and Angel have a history together. Could it be that what she's hiding is the fact that she's not entirely human?_

"I need to take off for a few days," Matt said.

"Why?" Maria asked.

"I got a call from an old friend out in Los Angeles," Matt said. "She needs a little help on a case she's working on."

"She's a cop?" Maria asked.

"Yeah," Matt said. "Her name is Kate Lockley. She's a detective with the LAPD."

"Her own people can't help her?" she asked.

"She said that the case is a little bizarre," Matt said.

"Bizarre in what way?" Maria asked.

"I know exactly who she is," Kate said. "Or maybe I should say who she's pretending to be. A creature who pretends to be human so she can prey on unsuspecting innocents, just like you, Angel." She turned her attention back to Demona and raised the gun, pointing it straight at her. "Am I right, Ms. Destine?"

Demons and Angels Part Two

June 19, 2000

Los Angeles, California

Angel Investigations

"What did you just call me?" Demona asked.

"You heard me," Kate said.

Demona turned her attention back to Angel. "I think your friend had better explain herself, Angelus," she said, trying to hide her nervousness.

"Really," Kate said. She pulled back the hammer on the automatic she was holding. "Tell me that if I shoot you right here and now, you won't get up again in a few minutes."

"Kate..." Angel started, but then Kate shot a furious glare at him.

"No, Angel," she snapped. "I'm sick and tired of these freaks running around in my city! First I find out that you're a vampire, and then my father gets killed by one! And now I have to deal with Mutates and demons! I'm sick of it!"

"I am not a demon," Demona said.

Kate looked at her. "Really," she said sarcastically. "Then what are you?"

"I'm a gargoyle," Demona said.

"And I'm supposed to think that makes all the difference in the world," Kate said.

"Yes," Wesley said. He took a book from the shelf and cautiously approached the detective. "I'm certain you've heard what's been going on in New York," he said. "About there being living gargoyles residing there."

"Yeah," she admitted. "And I've heard they've been causing nothing but trouble ever since they were discovered."

"And you got this information from..." Demona challenged.

Kate hesitated for a moment. She had to admit that the info she did have came from less-than-reliable sources, mostly from people who had sympathized with the Quarrymen's cause. And she had despised the Quarrymen, not just because of their views, but for their actions. She would never have tolerated them in Los Angeles.

Wesley picked up on her hesitation and opened the book. "Whatever you may have heard recently," he said. "Most of it is false, perpetrated by those who would like nothing more than to wipe the gargoyles off the face of the earth, simply because they're different." He set the book on the desk. "This shows a more accurate picture of who and what gargoyles truly are."

Kate looked at the book, noting that Wesley had opened it to a section on gargoyles. She read what was there for a brief second before finally holstering her gun and picking up the book to read it more carefully. After a few minutes, she looked back up at Demona. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't know..."

"It's all right, detective," Demona said. "Many humans view us as monsters and demons without thinking that maybe we're not all that bad."

"But that still doesn't change the fact..."

"That I'm human during the day?" Demona said, finally admitting to what Kate already suspected. Kate nodded her head. "I use sorcery to hold off the stone sleep," she said, half-lying. "Do not forget that I am immortal, detective. I am also an accomplished sorceress. And over the thousand years I have been alive, I've amassed a considerable fortune, so I found it necessary to create a human persona to help me manage it in today's world. I use an illusion to appear human during the day." She smiled at Kate. "Who would have thought it would lead to a multi-billion dollar corporation?"

"And what about the real Dominique Destine?" Kate asked. "What happened to her?"

"What?" Demona asked. "You thought I murdered an innocent human in order to steal her identity?"

"The thought had crossed my mind," Kate said. "It's not like identity theft is something new."

"Well, I didn't," Demona said. "I...couldn't. Gargoyles protect. We don't go around killing innocent humans." She paused, grimacing inwardly at the lie, and how hollow it sounded in her ears. _Most of us don't, at least,_ she thought to herself. "The name was given to me centuries ago by a dear friend of mine named Michel. In case you're wondering by the way, it means 'Divine Destiny'."

"I will be checking out your story, Ms. Destine," Kate said. "I hope you realize that."

"I'd be surprised if you didn't, detective," Demona said.

"Listen, Kate," Angel said. "De...Ms. Destine and I have a lot of things to discuss. We'd appreciate it if you could give us some privacy."

"I'm sure you would," Kate said. "But, Angel..."

"Don't make me have to throw you out, detective," Demona said dangerously. "What Angel and I have to discuss does not concern you."

"Listen..." Kate started.

"Kate, we've had this discussion before, remember?" Angel said. "You're not going to win this argument, not against her."

"Fine," Kate said. Then she looked at Demona. "But I want you to know that I'm going to be keeping an eye on you. And I swear that if I catch you stepping out of line just once..."

"You'll lock me up and throw away the key?" Demona said.

"You got it," Kate said. "And since you're immortal, I'll make sure that it's for a _very_ long time." She turned and headed for the door.

After Kate was gone, Cordelia looked at Angel. "Well, that was intense," she said.

"No more than usual," Angel said. "Although," he added as he considered Demona. "For a minute there, I was afraid you might..."

"Murder a cop?" Demona said. "At one time, perhaps. But not anymore. As I told you before, a cop saved my daughter's life more than once. And I've come to realize that trying to kill them is more trouble than it's worth." For a moment, her mind flashed back to the times she had tried to take Elisa's life, then she shoved the memories aside. _If I had actually succeeded in killing her, I would never have met Angela, _she thought. _And she would have died at the hands of the Hunters, instead of being saved by her... _She turned her attention back to Angel. "I believe we were discussing a possible lead on where to start looking for Thailog before we were interrupted," she said.

"Right," Angel said. He looked at the address Cordelia had written down before handing it to Demona. "Do you want to go with me?" he asked. "Or do you want to..."

"I shall meet you there tomorrow night," Demona said. "There's something else that needs my immediate attention, and unfortunately, it may take most of the day just to get the information. I shall see you then." She turned and left the office.

"I wonder what it is that needs her attention?" Wesley asked.

"Well, considering she's the head of one of the biggest companies in the country," Cordelia said. "My guess is she wants to grab the earliest edition of the Wall Street Journal as soon as it hits the newsstands."

"At this time of the night?" Wesley asked.

"It's almost four in the morning," Cordelia said.

"Is it really?" he asked. He looked at the window. "My word, we've been at this all night."

"Goes with the job," Angel said. "And somehow, I don't think Demona's too concerned about the stock market at this time of the day. She's probably heading back to the Nightstone Plaza to figure out just what it was Fang took off with the other night. I get the feeling her employees weren't giving her as much help as she would have liked."

Nightstone Unlimited

Manhattan

The phone rang on Candice's desk. She immediately picked it up and answered cheerfully. "Nightstone Unlimited, Ms. Destine's office. May I help you?"

"Candice, this is Ms. Destine," came the reply on the other end.

Candice's eyes went wide. "Ms. Destine, it's so good to hear from you. How is Los Angeles?"

"Fine, as always," the CEO replied. "I need you to take care of something for me."

"Of course," she said.

"I'm sending you a fax with a list of names," Dominique said. "I need you to find the personnel files on these people and send them to me as quickly as possible."

Candice looked over as the fax machine printed out the list Dominique was sending her. She looked at it with a hint of confusion. "Aren't their files out there?" she asked.

"I would not be asking for them if they were," Dominique said.

Candice looked over the list. "I'll get right on it as soon as possible," she said.

"Good," Dominique said. "And Candice, be discrete. There's something about what's going on out here that doesn't feel right. I don't want the board to get wind of this."

"Gotcha," Candice said. She hung up the phone as soon as she heard Dominique sever the connection, then looked at the list a second time. She thought about calling Personnel directly, but quickly set it aside. _Discrete, she said, _she thought. _I can do discrete._ Folding up the list, she put it in her bag and headed for the elevator.

Nightstone Office Plaza

Los Angeles

Dominique set aside the phone as she looked at the list of department heads who were involved in whatever it was that had been going on in the Research Department on the Twelfth Floor. _You people are keeping something from me, _she thought angrily. _But whatever it is, you will tell me, even if I have to flay you one at a time. _She got up from the desk and headed for the hidden wardrobe she had installed in her office, dropping the illusion she had been wearing since her arrival before sunrise. "Let's see," she said as she took off her usual nighttime wear. "What would be suitable for a flaying?"

An undisclosed location

Downtown Los Angeles

Lilah watched as Dr. Anton Sevarius inspected the lab.

"I hope it's to your liking," she said. She had gotten a call from Holland Manners a few hours ago, telling her that he wanted her to make arrangements for Anton to have access to a lab. Wolfram and Hart had interest in a few across town, and she had picked the one closest to where the mysterious Alexander Thailog was recovering from his injuries.

"This will be perfect," Anton said. "Better than I could have hoped for actually." He turned to the woman. "You do know that I have worked in the finest labs in the country," he said.

"I know," Lilah said. "Cyberbiotics, Gen-U-Tech, Nightstone Unlimited..."

"All with extraordinary facilities," he said. "I was given almost complete and total 'carte blanche' at each one as well. Will I be..."

"I've been instructed to give you whatever assistance you need," Lilah said.

"Really?" Anton said. "Good. Because there is something I need from you right now, Ms. Morgan."

"What's that?" Lilah asked.

"Your body."

Lilah stepped back in surprise. "What?" she gasped.

Anton smiled at her. "You must forgive me," he laughed. "I've been waiting for an opportunity to say that." He extended a hand to her. "I did not mean that in the literal sense, my dear," he said. "What I really need from you is a sample of your DNA."

Lilah calmed a bit, but not by much. "Why?" she felt compelled to ask. "What do you need it for?"

"That, Ms. Morgan," she heard Holland Manners say as he entered the lab. "Is something you needn't concern yourself about. Just provide him with a blood sample for now."

Lilah took off her jacket, then rolled up the sleeve of her blouse. Anton picked up a hypodermic needle and an alcohol swab. While the doctor drew a sample of Lilah's blood, Holland turned his attention back to Anton.

"So, are the facilities to your satisfaction?" he asked.

"As I told Ms. Morgan," Anton said as he finished drawing the blood. "Better than I could have hoped for. Were you able to build the equipment to my specifications?"

"Right this way, Anton," Holland said. Holland led the doctor and Lilah through a far door and into another lab. Along one wall of the adjoining lab were three large cylinders, all empty.

"What are those?" Lilah asked.

"Cloning chambers," Anton said.

Lilah's eyes went wide. "Cloning..." she started. "Is that why you need a sample of my DNA? To clone me?"

"Somewhat, my dear," Anton said, smiling

"Don't worry, Lilah." Holland said. "There is no plan to replace you simply because of a few errors. You work for Wolfram and Hart, not the Dominion."

Lilah gave him a puzzled look. "I don't..."

Sevarius looked at Holland. "I guess you don't watch too much 'Star Trek', do you?" he said to Lilah.

"No," she admitted.

"It doesn't matter," Sevarius said. He held up the sample of Lilah's blood. "This will suffice for now," he said. He went over to a lab counter and set the test tube of blood in a holder.

"So when do we get to meet Mr. Thailog?" she asked.

"Lilah..." Holland said dangerously.

"No, that's all right, Holland," Anton said, then turned his attention back to Lilah. "The truth is Mr. Thailog is a bit of a...'night' person." He looked at his watch. "He'll be up and around in about twelve hours. Then you can meet him."

"I look forward to it," she said.

"Lilah," Holland said. "Why don't you go wait for me outside? I have some things to discuss with Anton."

"Of course," she said. She turned and left.

"I don't think it would be such a good idea for her to meet our 'esteemed' client," Holland said.

"Nonsense," Anton said. "I think Thailog would be most impressed with Ms. Morgan." He picked up the test tube containing Lilah's blood. "Especially if her DNA is as promising as I believe it is."

"You intend to go forward with your idea?" he asked.

"Of course," Anton said. "Thailog has been without a suitable mate for quite some time." He smiled at Holland. "And Ms. Morgan's DNA could be just what the doctor ordered."

June 20, 2000

Los Angeles Police Department

Detective Kate Lockley walked across the room, heading for her desk. She paused as a uniformed sergeant caught her attention.

"You got a visitor, detective," he said.

"Thanks, Henderson," she said. She looked towards the windows, making sure that the one by her desk was opened_. The shades were drawn, _she noted as she saw the sunlight spilling across her desk. _So it couldn't be Angel. Could it be one of his partners, or... _

She saw a shock of red hair, but it was too short to be Dominique Destine's. _Who do I know with hair that red? _She headed for her desk. "Can I help..." she started.

"Hello, Kate," Matt Bluestone said as he turned towards the sound of her voice.

"Matt?" Kate said, shocked. "Hi. I wasn't expecting..."

"Took some time off," Matt said, standing up. "Decided to take it here."

Kate frowned at him. "I thought you swore off Los Angeles after what happened."

"Don't remind me," Matt said. He picked up the file that was sitting on her desk. "Here's the info you wanted."

Kate took the file from his hand and opened it. "This is everything?" she asked him.

"Just about," Matt said.

Kate sat down and thumbed through the file. "Are you sure?" she asked. "Seems to me that there's something missing."

"Like..."

"Like something about Ms. Destine being a..." She paused as she looked around, making sure there was no one within earshot. "Blue-skinned, red-haired gargoyle at night?"

Matt looked at her in shock. "How..." he asked. "I mean, why would you think..."

Kate looked up at him. "So you knew about it all the time."

Matt swallowed hard, knowing that Kate had somehow discovered the cover-up concerning Demona's daytime identity. "Are you going to tell me how you found out about Demona's little secret?"

Kate eyes narrowed. "I thought her name was Dominique Destine," she said.

Matt groaned inwardly. _Oops, _he thought. "She...goes by the name Dominique Destine when..." He paused, looking at her. _How much **does** she know? _he wondered.

"When she's passing herself off as human?" Kate asked pointedly.

"Yeah," Matt admitted. "Look, Kate," he said. "Is there someplace we can talk in private?"

"Sure," she said. She stood up and headed across the room, taking the file with her.

Matt followed her to one of the interrogation rooms. She paused by the door and followed him in, then closed the door.

"All right, Matt," she said, crossing her arms. "Spill it. What's the deal with Ms. Destine? Or Demona? Or whatever it is she's calling herself?"

"What have you heard?" he asked.

"It's not a matter of what I've heard, Matt," she said. "But what I was able to figure out. A few days ago, Fang tried to murder her, but she managed to 'survive' something that would have killed just about anyone else. Then she manages to disappear mysteriously out of her hotel room just after sunset without the cops who were guarding her noticing it. So I figured that if she could do that, that she had to be something other than 'human'."

"And the part where you figured out she was a gargoyle?" Matt asked.

"She told me that herself," Kate said. "After I found her a few hours later at Angel's."

"Angel?" Matt asked. "I think you mentioned that name to me before. Who is he?"

Kate sighed, knowing that she was going to have to tell him. "Angel is...a vampire," she said finally. "He's been a problem ever since he showed up in Los Angeles a few months ago."

"A vampire, huh," Matt said. "That's a new one."

"I'm not crazy, Matt," she said.

"I didn't imply that you were," Matt responded. "I'm the one in charge of a unit called the Gargoyle Task Force, remember? And you know what I was like while I was still with the Bureau."

"Yeah," she said, remembering her first encounter with Matt Bluestone nearly seven years before. Matt had been assigned to investigate a local mob boss named Rudolf Rorshenko, and Kate was his liaison to the LAPD. But during the investigation, he became convinced that Rorshenko had ties to something he called the Illuminati Society. He began pursuing leads that he believed would put him one step closer to uncovering them, but then Rorshenko was gunned down by a mysterious assailant outside a restaurant just as a warrant was being drawn up for his arrest. The gunman was never caught, and Matt was blamed for not keeping a closer eye on the mob boss. He left Los Angeles, vowing never to come back, and Kate was sorry to see him go. She had thought that, given a chance, their professional relationship could have evolved into something deeper...

"Kate, listen," Matt said. "I'll give you whatever help I can, but I honestly think that this is something you should steer clear of." He paused for a second. "For your own sake."

"You know I can't, Matt," she said. "These freak jobs are running around in _my_ city, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let them turn this into their own private little Twilight Zone!"

Matt sighed heavily. "I thought you'd say that," he said. He slowly approached her and cautiously placed his hands on her shoulders. "Could you at least back off a little until I can figure out what's really going on?" he asked. When she looked up at him in aggravation, he quickly continued. "I promise I'll keep you informed about what I find out."

Kate remained silent for a long time, and Matt was afraid she'd tell him to go take a flying leap, but then she sighed. "I'll have to think about it," she said finally. "But I want to know why first."

Matt let his arms drop from her shoulders. "Because I get the feeling that there's more going on here than you can possibly know about. And I don't want you getting caught in the crossfire if what I suspect is going on turns out to be on the money."

Angel Investigations

Several hours later...

Cordelia looked up as she heard the door open. When she caught sight of the redheaded male in the trenchcoat enter the office, she immediately smiled and went into her routine.

"Hello," she said cheerfully. "Welcome to Angel Investigations. How can we be of service?"

"I'd like to talk to your boss," he said.

"Well, he's kind of busy right at the moment," she said, which wasn't _entirely _true. Angel was downstairs, asleep after pursuing leads on Thailog most of the night. "If you'd like to leave your name and phone number..."

"He's not much of a day person, is he?" the redhead asked, looking at the drawn shades.

Cordelia frowned at him. "Who are you?" she asked.

"Matt Bluestone," he said. He pulled out his detective's badge and showed it to the young actress/secretary.

"NYPD?" Cordelia asked. "Kinda out of your jurisdiction, aren't ya?"

"I'm here to help out a friend," he said. "Detective Lockley. I think you know her."

"In a way," Cordelia said. "And you want to talk to Angel why?"

"Just a little curious," Matt admitted. "I've never met a real live vampire before."

Cordelia almost dropped the pen in her hand. "How did you...I mean...what makes you think..."

"Kate told me all about him," Matt said.

"You know, she has been kind of stressed out lately..." Cordelia started, but then she was interrupted by the sound of the door to Angel's office opening.

"Who's this?" Angel asked.

"Detective Bluestone," Matt said as he showed the vampire his badge. "NYPD."

"You're a long way from home, detective," Angel said.

"Well, as the head of the Gargoyle Task Force," he said. "I thought I'd better investigate a recent sighting out here."

Cordelia's eyes went wide. "Gargoyle...Task Force?" she gasped.

"You're here about Demona," Angel said.

"Her, and Fang," Matt said. "Kate told me he's been sighted out here."

"You know Kate Lockley?" Angel asked.

"We have a history," Matt said. "We worked together on a case a few years ago while I was still with the Bureau." He looked at Angel. "Kate told me you've been a bit of a problem for her ever since you arrived in town. Care to tell me what that's all about?"

"Kate…blames me for the death of her father," Angel said. "He was…on the take, and he…" He stopped when he saw the frown on Matt's face. "Did you know Kate's father?" he asked.

"I met him a couple of times while I was here on the Rorshenko case," Matt said. "He and I didn't get off on the right foot, but I find it hard to believe that he would be on the take." He paused for a second. "What was he involved in?"

"It's a long story," Angel said. "How much do you know about demon physiology?"

"Never mind," Matt said. "I had my fill of the Fae and demons and God knows what else over the past few years."

"That seems to be the only thing…" Cordelia started, but then she caught the frown on Matt's face.

"So you're here about Demona," Angel said. "Anything in particular you want to know?"

"I'd like to know why she's here in Los Angeles," Matt said. "I'm assuming there's more to it than the fact that Nightstone just opened a new office out here."

"You know about her connection to Nightstone?" Cordelia asked.

"I know that as Dominique Destine, she happens to be one of the richest women in the world," Matt said.

"I'm surprised that she'd let you walk around alive with a secret like that," Cordelia said. "Especially considering what you do."

"I think I'm pretty safe for the time being," Matt said. "If Demona wanted to do me in to keep her secret safe, she would have done it a long time ago. Besides, I'm not the only one who knows."

"Who else knows?" Angel asked.

"My partner, for one," he said. "Elisa Maza. I think she was the first person who ever saw Demona's change from a human to a gargoyle."

Angel and Cordelia shared a look as they recognized the name. Matt caught the silent exchange between the two. "You know about her?"

"Demona told us about her," Angel said. "She told us your partner saved her daughter's life."

"More than once," Matt said. He paused as he looked at the vampire. "But I'm not here about that. I'm here to figure out what Demona's up to."

Angel paused for a moment. "You know about Demona's past, right?" he asked. When Matt nodded, he continued. "What do you know about her ex-business partner?"

"Thailog's here?" Matt asked.

"It looks like it," Angel said.

Matt sighed. "Then we have a real problem on our hands," he said.

June 21, 2000

Nightstone Office Plaza

Los Angeles

Dominique watched as the head of the research department sitting across from her squirmed in his seat. She shifted her gaze to the report she had in front of her. A report she'd had to force the Research Department to surrender to her.

"I am very disappointed in you, Mr. Holt," she said, tossing the report on her desk. "You knew these projects were supposed to clear my desk before any funding for them could be approved. And yet you saw fit to try to hide them in project proposals that had already been cleared, hoping that the additional funding would be overlooked as cost overruns."

"Ms. Destine…" he started, but Dominique stopped him.

"Save it," she said. "You can consider yourself terminated as of this moment. And consider yourself lucky that your employment is the only thing I am terminating."

Holt gulped soundly, knowing what she was hinting at, then got up slowly to leave. As he reached the doors to the office, he was greeted by a pair of security guards.

"See to it that Mr. Holt is escorted out of the building," she said. When he turned to protest, she continued. "I will see to it that someone gathers your belongings and delivers them to your home. That way, I can ensure that you do not try to leave with anything 'sensitive'."

She waited until the security guards escorted Holt out of her office, then got up to look out the window. _That takes care of one problem,_ she thought. _But not the entire problem. I still have Thailog to deal with. Hopefully, Angel will have come up with some useful information. _She picked up the report and placed it in her briefcase. _As for this, I will deal with this after I get back to Manhattan. _She closed the briefcase and headed for the door to her office.

"Heading out for lunch?" she heard a voice say. She turned and caught sight of Fang standing on the ledge outside her window.

"You again!" she snarled, her eyes taking on an angry red glow as she glared at the Mutate.

"Ohh, talk about bloodshot!" he quipped. "You know, a few drops of Visine will clear that right up."

Dominique looked around the office, looking for something lethal, but all she had was her briefcase, and she couldn't very well throw that at him. "What the hell do you want this time, Fang?"

"We got unfinished business, Red," he said. "Boss still wants to see you, and he ain't takin' 'No' for an answer again."

"You can tell Thailog…" she started, but then Fang pulled out a small gun.

"I'm afraid I'm gonna have to insist this time," he said.

"And what are you going to do if I refuse?" she said, crossing her arms across her chest. "Are you going to shoot me? Fire that gun and ten security guards will be in here before I even hit the floor."

Fang looked at the gun in his hand. "I'll just have to risk it," he said. He aimed and fired.

Dominique was surprised by his actions, hoping that she could bluff him, but what really surprised her was the dart that came out of the barrel of the gun. It hit her in the neck, and she jumped back in surprise. Her hand flew to her neck and she pulled the dart from her skin, even as her vision began to swim.

"A tranquilizer dart?" she said in surprise. "You think…" She stopped as she felt her knees go weak. "You think that…drugging me…will keep me…"

"Yeah, yeah. I know," he said. "The immortality thing. So what makes you think the doc didn't cook up something a little more 'potent'?"

Dominique's eyes went wide in shock as she sank to her knees. "Poison?"

"Just a little cyanide, mixed in with a few other toxins," Fang said. "Just enough to keep you out for a while." He waited until Dominique sagged lifelessly to the floor, then picked up the woman's corpse and turned towards the window. He paused for a moment, then reached down and picked up Dominique's briefcase, knowing that Thailog will want to see what she had inside.

Matt walked into the Nightstone Office Plaza, pausing for a moment as he watched someone being escorted out by two security officers, then headed for the security desk.

"I'd like to see Ms. Destine," he said to the security guard at the desk.

"I'm sorry," the guard said. "But she gave us orders not to be disturbed…"

Matt quickly pulled out his badge. "Tell her it's Detective Bluestone from New York," he said. "I'm sure she'll want to talk to me."

"New York, huh?" the guard said. "You know you're out of your jurisdiction."

"Yeah, people keep on telling me that," he said. "But I still need to see her." He paused for a moment, waiting, as the guard sighed and then picked up the phone to call Ms. Destine's office. After a minute, the guard looked up at Matt and shook his head.

"She's not picking up her phone," he said.

"Call her secretary," Matt said. "Ask her if Ms. Destine has left her office."

The guard sighed, but complied with Matt's request. "This is the front desk," he said when he heard Dominique's secretary pick up the phone. "Is Ms. Destine in her office?"

"She should be," the secretary said. "I haven't seen her leave. Why?"

"There's a Detective Bluestone here to see her," he said.

"Tell her it's important," Matt quickly interjected.

"He says it's important," the guard said.

"I'll check," the secretary said. The guard paused as he heard the secretary put him on 'Hold'.

"This shouldn't take long," he said.

The secretary hesitantly knocked on the door to Dominique's office. She'd known the red-headed CEO of Nightstone Unlimited only a few days, but she already knew beforehand about Dominique Destine's fiery temper. _If she said she didn't want to be disturbed, then she absolutely **did not** **want to be disturbed!**_ But the guard downstairs said that it was important, so she had to make a judgment call. Interrupt her and risk the possibility of being fired, or leave her alone, and definitely getting fired if it turned out this really was as important as it sounded. She took a deep breath and opened the door. "Ms. Destine, there's a call for you…"

"Christ!" she heard an angry voice shout. "What does it take to kidnap someone in peace around here?"

Her eyes went wide in shook and horror as she saw a winged form in the office, standing by the window, Dominique's limp form slung across his shoulder. He snarled as he turned to look at the wide-eyed secretary and dropped the briefcase in his hand. She saw energy begin to crackle around his hand and quickly dived out of the way as a bolt of energy was released. It blasted apart the door she had been standing by, showering her with wooden splinters. She screamed in terror.

Fang paused as he looked through the ruins of the door and saw other employees running towards the office. He looked to where the secretary lay on the floor with her hands and arms covering her head, trembling in fear. "Maybe that'll teach ya not to interrupt yer boss when she's in a meetin'," he said contemptuously. He reached down and quickly retrieved the briefcase. The secretary lifted her head and watched fearfully as Fang grinned at her, then turned and flew out the window. She got to her feet shakily and went back to her desk. Remembering she still had the guard at the front desk on hold, she picked up the handset and reconnected the line.

"This is the front desk," she heard the guard say.

"She's been taken," she sobbed.

"What?" the guard said in shock.

"Something took her," she sobbed. "It came through the window and just took her."

Matt saw the look of shock on the guard's face. "What happened?" he asked urgently.

"She says that something came through the window and took off with Ms. Destine," he said.

Matt quickly took the phone from the guard. "This is Detective Bluestone," he said quickly. "Did you see what took her?"

"I think…" she started. "I think it was a…a gargoyle."

Matt's eyes went to the entrance he had come through, where he could see sunlight still streaming in through the glass doors. _At least six hours until sunset,_ he thought. _Definitely not a gargoyle, not at this time of day. It had to be Fang. _"I want you to stay right where you are," he said. "Don't go anywhere. I'm going to have someone here in a little bit to get a statement from you about what you saw." He quickly handed the phone back to the guard. "I want you to call the LAPD and ask for a Detective Kate Lockley. Can you do that?"

"Yeah," the guard said. "I think she left her card here somewhere." He opened the desk drawer and pulled out Kate's card, showing it to Matt.

Matt looked at the card briefly, remembering that Kate had told him she was here earlier in response to Fang's first attack. He handed the card back to the guard. "Good," he said. "Tell her exactly what's happened here," he continued. He turned and started towards the entrance. He paused and turned back to the guard. "Which side of the building is Ms. Destine office on?" he asked.

The guard pointed towards the left end of the lobby. "That side," he said. "On the top floor of the building."

Matt took off across the lobby. _The West side of the building, _he realized. _Makes perfect sense. Her office in New York is on the same side, so she can watch the sun set. _Matt ran out of the lobby doors and quickly looked up. He pulled his gun as he saw a shadowy figure pass overhead. He tried to get a clear shot at Fang, but the Mutate was too high in the air.

"Dammit!" he swore as Fang quickly flew out of range. He raced for his car, trying to keep an eye on Fang's position, but as he pulled the door open, a squad car pulled in front of his car and a uniformed officer jumped out.

"Hands where I can see them," the officer commanded, his hand going automatically to his sidearm.

"I'm a cop," Matt shouted. He pulled out his badge and quickly showed it to the officer. The officer gave it a critical look before turning his attention back to Matt.

"Then why were you waving your gun around just now, detective?" he asked.

"I saw something come out of the top floor of the building, carrying off someone," he said. "It looked like some kind of gargoyle," he then added.

"We don't have gargoyles out here in LA," the officer said.

"You'd be surprised what you do and don't have," Matt said. The officer looked at him like he was crazy, so Matt tried another approach. "I'm here because a friend asked me for some help. Her name is Kate Lockley. She's a detective with the LAPD."

The officer's expression changed. Now he looked as though he were buying Matt's story. Matt quickly looked into the air, only to swear again as he saw that Fang was nowhere in sight. "Great, now I lost him." He brought his hand down on the roof of the car in frustration.

"I'm sorry, detective," the officer said. "When I saw you pulling your gun…"

"I know," Matt said. "Just doing your job." He got in the car and waited until the officer pulled his unit out of the way before giving chase, hoping he could spot Fang again. As he drove, he pulled out his cell phone and placed a call.

"Angel, this is Matt," he said. "Things just got worse."

Thailog's hidden lair

Downtown Los Angeles

Dominique groaned as she regained consciousness, her body finally ridding itself of the poisons that had been shot into it. As she became dimly aware of her surroundings, she realized that her hands were shackled to the wall above her head, and her jacket and blouse had been removed.

"Ah," she heard an all-too familiar voice say. "Welcome back to the world of the living."

"Anton," she snarled, her eyes taking on a blood-red tint as she caught sight of Anton Sevarius. "When I get through with you, there won't be enough left to fill a thimble."

"I see that your disposition remains as pleasant as ever," he said, smiling widely.

"What do you want, Anton?" she said, trying to stand. She stopped when she realized the restraints holding her wouldn't allow her to rise.

"Actually, it is you I want, my dear," he said. When he heard Dominique growl angrily, he smiled at her. "You never allowed me to study you at length, Ms. Destine. So I was never able to discover just how that wonderful recuperative power of yours worked. Or the marvelous way you are able to change form on a daily basis"

"You know precisely how and why I'm immortal, Anton," she said. "Macbeth and I are eternally linked. We suffer each others pain, but until one of us kills the other, we are fated to live throughout eternity. And as to the change, you know that was a gift from the Puck."

"I know," he said. "But I would like to know the precise mechanism that is behind it. There has to be some form of bio-chemical reaction that allows your bodies to heal with such phenomenal speed, even to the point where you can be revived when all life functions have ceased, as well as the ability of your own body to undergo such a radical change in structure."

"I see what you're after now," she said. "You want the secret so you can become immortal yourself."

"That would be my ultimate goal, yes," he said. "But I would, of course, want to test it out on Thailog first. You did do quite a bit of damage to him, after all."

"Not nearly enough, it seems," Dominique snarled. "He's still breathing."

"Be that as it may," he said. "I am certain he would very much enjoy being restored to his former grandeur, and not have to worry about every little cut and scrape from now on. And just think of what he could accomplish if he were able to walk about during the day, just as you do. Why, he could even regain control of Nightstone Unlimited, if that is what he wished."

"I'd never let him regain control of my company," she snarled viciously. "I was a fool to trust him in the first place!"

Sevarius smiled at her. "Ah, yes," he said. "I remember when you and he were very much in love. It seems like such a shame that the two of you couldn't work out your differences."

"He tried to murder my daughter!" she snapped. "What other reason do I need to rip out his throat!"

"Well, that is between the two of you," he said. He stepped forward and stuck her arm with a hypodermic needle, drawing a sample of her blood. "I hope you don't mind if I borrow this," he said. "I need it for an experiment."

"Ha," she barked. "The last time you took a sample of my blood, it ended up being…" She stopped when she realized what he was up to. "You are not going to make another copy…" she said angrily.

"Thailog has been quite the lonely fellow since your falling out," Sevarius said. "And he really does need someone he can call his own." He set the needle aside and picked up a pneumatic needle gun and placed it against her throat. Dominique flinched as she felt the needle penetrate her skin, and she could feel something being injected into her body.

"What did you just do?" she demanded.

"Just a little toy I cooked up recently," he said as he withdrew the needle gun. "Something one might call a nano-probe." He then pulled a small monitoring device out of his pocket and held it to her neck, then moved it over her body. "Ah," he said. "Operating perfectly. The signal is coming in loud and clear" He then looked at Dominique. "For a few days at least, my little friend will circulate through your body, taking reading, observing certain 'events' your body experiences during your daily changes. Those kind of things. It will give me an idea of exactly how your body functions during your transformations." He turned and started for the door, pausing to pick up the sample of Dominique's blood. "Of course, once its job is done, the probe will shut down and drift through your bloodstream. Obviously, this may cause a bit of a problem if it should happen to lodge in a sensitive area of the body." He then smiled at her. "But somehow I don't think that's something you're going to have to worry about."

Dominique struggled against the restraints holding her as she watched Sevarius leave the room with the sample of her blood. She stopped when she began to feel an all-too familiar itching along her back. Her eyes narrowed as she waited for the change to occur.

"Just you wait, Sevarius," she snarled. "As soon as I'm free…"

Her words were cut off as she heard a hissing sound. She looked around and then gasped as she saw a green mist begin to fill the room. She began to cough harshly as the vapors filled her lungs and she lost consciousness just as her body began its change.

Sevarius went to the lab where the cloning chambers were lined up against the wall and sat down at the workstation. He turned on his computer station and watched as the nano-probe sent back telemetry about the transformation that was taking place in the other room. He smiled as he saw the results. _Very interesting, _he thought as he turned his attention to the sample of Dominique's blood. He drew a small sample of blood from the needle and placed it in a special container. Taking the sample of Lilah's blood, he placed it under a microscope and began the meticulous work of replicating the process he used to create Delilah.

"Do you need anything else, doc?" Fang asked.

"Not at the moment, no," Sevarius said.

Fang watched as Sevarius worked. "Hey, doc," he said.

Sevarius sighed. "What is it, Fang?" he asked.

"Since you're making a playmate for Thailog," he said. "You think you could make one for me, too?"

Sevarius thought about that for a moment. "Are you certain you want to wait that long?" he asked. "It may take a few months before the clone reaches maturity."

"You can't do anything to speed that up to say, a few days?"

"Not likely," Sevarius said. "Wouldn't you rather have another like you?" he asked. "If you're in such a hurry for a playmate, you could find a suitable subject and I can expose her to the mutagen. If you'd like, I can even perform a little 'reeducation' at the same time."

Fang smiled. "Sounds like a great plan, doc," he said. "I'll go find someone as soon as I take care of a little business with the boss." He picked up the briefcase and left the lab.

Sevarius sighed as soon as the Mutate left, then turned back to his work, hoping he wouldn't be interrupted again.

Fang was on his way to Thailog's office when he bumped into a rather attractive brunette. "Well, hello Nurse!" he said, grinning wildly.

"I'm not a nurse," she said, seemingly unfazed by the Mutate's unusual appearance. "I'm a lawyer."

Fang frowned. "Ugh," he said. "Can't stand 'em. Always wantin' something in return for defending a guy. Money, cars…"

"The still beating heart of a virgin," Lilah said with a smile.

That caught Fang by surprise. "Uh…" he stammered.

Lilah grinned. "I take it you're Steven Fisher," she said.

"I don't go by that name anymore," he said. "It's Fang now."

"Of course," she said. "I'm Lilah Morgan."

"Yeah," Fang said. "The doc told me about you." He looked her up and down. "He didn't tell me you were a looker, though."

"Thank you," she said. She looked down at the briefcase in his hand. "What's that?" she asked.

"Really don't know," Fang said. "I saw Red put something in it right after she gave some poor schmuck the ax, but I ain't had the chance to see what it was. But I figured it'd be something the boss would want to see."

"Do you mind if I take it to him?" she asked, smiling disarmingly. "I haven't had the chance to meet Mr. Thailog yet, but as his attorney, I am required to fill him in on all developments concerning his former status as the part owner of Nightstone."

"Uh, yeah," Fang said, a little confused by Lilah's words. "Right. Sure." He handed over the briefcase. "Besides, I got something I gotta do. I'll see ya later."

Lilah waited until the Mutate was gone before opening the briefcase and looking at the file inside. _Oh, yes,_ she thought. _I'm certain Mr. Thailog will be most interested in this. He'll probably have a nice reward for the one who brings it to his attention._ She looked back to where Fang had been standing. _I just hope Mr. Fisher doesn't hold a grudge if I take the credit for it._ Smiling as she put the report back into the briefcase, she headed down the hallway.

Eventually, she reached the door to Thailog's office. She paused for a second before knocking on the door.

"Who is it?" she heard a deep baritone voice ask.

"Mr. Thailog," she said. "It's me. Lilah Morgan."

There was a moment of silence. "You may enter," she heard him say finally.

She opened the door and entered the office.

The first thing she noticed was that the lights were turned off. She reached for the light switch.

"Don't," she heard the baritone voice say. "I would prefer that the lights remain off."

"But I can't see…" she started.

"I prefer it that way," Thailog said.

Lilah sighed and crossed the room cautiously, feeling her way carefully. When her hands encountered the desk, she stopped and placed the briefcase on the desk. "I just thought you'd like to see this," she said as she opened the briefcase. She took out the report and placed it on the desk. She heard Thailog pick up the report and begin reading it. _That's right, _she thought. _His kind is supposed to have exceptional night vision. _After a few moments, she saw a shadowy arm reach for a desk lamp and turn it on. She found herself looking at the scarred visage of Alexander Thailog.

"My appearance doesn't surprise you?" he asked, seeing that she remained well composed, even though she had stepped back slightly.

"I've seen worse things," she said. "Have you ever met a Mulonach demon?" she asked.

"Can't say that I have," Thailog said.

"Very bad skin conditions," she said. "They look like they should be spokesmen for Clearasil." She paused. "And their table manners…" She shuddered.

"Disgusting?" Thailog asked.

"No table manners to speak of at all," Lilah said. "They would give Miss Manners nightmares."

Thailog smiled at the lawyer. "I can see that Holland was right in assigning you to my case," he said. He went over the report again. "You were right to bring this to my attention." Without looking up, he added. "And just where did Fang acquire this?"

Lilah was somewhat shocked by his question. "What makes you think…" she started.

"My dear, very few things happen in this building that escapes my notice." He reached forward and placed his scarred hand on the briefcase. "And I just 'happened' to notice the initials on the top of this briefcase."

Lilah looked at the initials embossed in the leather. _DD, _she noted. _Dominique Destine. _

"I am therefore assuming that Fang 'acquired' this report and the briefcase when he abducted my former partner, Dominique Destine, earlier today."

"You know about that?" she asked.

"As I said, very few things escape my notice," Thailog said. "I will, of course, inform Holland that you brought this report to my attention. It will prove most invaluable in the future. Now, if you will excuse me," he continued. "I need to go over this in more detail. And I have a few things to discuss with the good doctor."

"Of course," Lilah said. "I'm always at your service."

Thailog waited until Lilah left the office before turning his attention back to the report. _I had hoped she would not find out about this project until it was too late,_ he thought. _But all is not lost. Once I have regained control of Nightstone, I can resume my plans, and my dear father's clan will be none the wiser until it is too late. _

Angel Investigations

"Are you sure it was Fang?" Angel asked.

"I've seen Fang enough times to know what he looks like," Matt said. "Believe me, it was him."

"And you're certain it was Dominique Destine he was carrying," Wesley asked. "No one else?"

"Who else could it have been?" Matt said. "The cleaning lady? I don't think so."

"Matt's right," Angel said. "Fang's already made one attempt to grab her. Now he's succeeded. And we're no closer to finding out where he could have taken her." He looked at Cordelia. "You're certain you didn't have a vision when she was abducted?"

"Gee, let me think," she said. "Did I have any mind-numbing visions today?" She paused, pretending to think about it. "Nope, not a one."

"What do you mean 'visions'," Matt asked.

"Cordelia gets these flashes," Wesley said. "Usually when someone's life is in danger."

"Usually the 'life-ending' kind of danger," she added.

"That is how we operate," Wesley continued. "We search out the people in Cordelia's visions and try to help them."

"Doesn't anyone just come in through the front door?" Matt asked.

"Oh, yeah," Cordelia said. "Lots of times. And sometimes the people who do come in tend to be some psychopath from Angel's past who…"

"Cordelia…" Angel started.

"I'm just saying…" Cordelia said as she began to sit down at her desk. Then she grabbed the edge of the desk. "Oh, God!" she gasped.

Wesley and Angel quickly rushed to her aid as she began to collapse, the vision taking hold of her suddenly without warning.

"Oh, God!" she repeated. "Kate!"

"What?" Matt asked. "Where? What's happening?"

"Magic store," Cordelia said. "Just up the street. She's…" Cordelia stopped as she sagged in Angel's grip.

Matt looked at Angel. "What about a magic store?" he asked. "And what would Kate be doing…"

"Whatever it is," Angel said as he handed Cordelia off to Wesley. "She's in trouble." He grabbed his coat and headed for the door. "Come on," he said. "I know the one she's talking about."

Matt followed the vampire out the door and headed down the street in his car, hoping to get to Kate in time, but fearing that they were already too late.

Kate Lockley stepped out of the magic store, seething with rage. _Boy, did she play me for the fool! _she thought angrily. _I should have known better than to trust anyone who was associated with Angel to tell me the truth about themselves._ She'd come to the magic store to do a little additional research on gargoyles. And while there had been scant little, if anything, on any gargoyles named Dominique Destine, there was plenty about one named Demona, and Kate wasn't too happy with what she read. _Gargoyles protect, all right,_ she thought grimly. _They protect their own hides. And usually at the expense of others. Well, Ms. Destine, the next time I see you… _

"Hey," she heard a voice from above. She looked up and saw a dark shape swooping down towards her. "Just the person I wanted to see."

She dropped the books she was carrying as she made a grab for her gun, but then she saw a bright flash of light, and then her world went dark.

Fang scooped up the unconscious form of Kate Lockley and jumped onto the roof of her car, using it as a launching point to get himself airborne.

"There he is," Matt said as they caught sight of the winged Mutate, carrying Kate's limp form in his arms. "Oh God, we're too late."

"No, we're not," Angel said. "He's not getting away this time." He drove into an alley and stopped the car. "Keep following him," he said to Matt. "He'll probably lead us right to Demona and Thailog."

"Where are you going?" Matt asked.

Angel leapt up and grabbed the railing of a nearby fire escape. "I can follow him faster this way," he said.

Matt watched in amazement as the vampire quickly raced up the fire escape and disappeared from sight. Not wanting to lose Fang a second time, Matt quickly backed the car out of the alley and took off after him.

Angel leapt from rooftop to rooftop, always staying in sight of Fang and his captive. _Fang was fast,_ Angel thought._ But not as fast as he could be if he weren't carrying Kate. _For a brief second, he wondered why Fang had abducted the detective, but then put the thought out of his mind. _It doesn't matter,_ he thought. _He's not going to have her long enough for it to make a difference. _He followed Fang across town until the Mutate stopped at an apparently abandoned warehouse. Waiting until Fang disappeared inside, he made a search of the area, looking for a way in while he waited for Matt to arrive.

During his search, he discovered something rather interesting.

"Hello, Lilah," he said as he saw the Wolfram and Hart lawyer heading for her car.

"Angel!" Lilah gasped in surprise. "What…what are you doing here?"

"I might ask you the same thing," he said. "Where's Thailog?"

"I…I don't…know…" she stammered, even as she began to reach into her purse.

"Come on, Lilah," he said. "I know that he's a client of yours. His ex told me all about him."

"I wouldn't be taking Ms. Destine's word as gospel if I were you," she said. "But then, you wouldn't be into the Gospel, would you?" She quickly pulled out a cross and held it before her. Angel flinched at the sight of the holy relic. "Now I suggest you back off…"

She never got a chance to finish, because Matt came up behind her and grabbed her by the wrist, forcing her to drop the cross. "I think my friend asked you a question," he said.

"Who the hell are you?" she snapped.

"Matt Bluestone, NYPD," Matt said.

"You're out of your…" she started.

"Jurisdiction," Matt stated. "I know." He looked at Angel. "I keep getting that."

"You're just going to have to get used to it," he said, then turned his attention back to Lilah. "Like I said before, where's Thailog?"

Anton Sevarius looked over the unconscious form of the detective as she lay on the floor. "Oh, she is a fine specimen," he said. "Where did you find her?"

"I think she's a cop," Fang said. "She 'interrupted' me when I tried to grab Demona a couple of days ago."

Sevarius looked up at the Mutate with a mixture of surprise and shock on his face. "And you brought her here?"

"Listen, doc," Fang snarled. "You said you could make me a playmate of my own. All you gotta do is hit her with the goo and then wipe a few annoying brain cells, and if she's lucky, she'll be able to remember how to eat afterwards."

Sevarius paused for a moment, considering the options. _It could work,_ he thought. _An infusion of the mutagen would take care of the physical appearance, and a simple procedure is all that would be needed to wipe her memories. Retraining her afterwards would be a simple matter…_

The hiss of the lab door opening drew their attention, and they both watched as Thailog entered the room.

"What is this?" he demanded.

"The doc's going to make me someone to be Mrs. Fang," Fang said.

"Are you insane?" Thailog bellowed. "Do you realize who she is?"

"Yeah, yeah," Fang said. "I know. She's a cop. So what? A few alterations and no one will be able to tell the difference."

"She is associated with a local vampire named Angel," Thailog said. "And from what I have heard from Holland, she and this vampire are quite close."

"Again, so what?" Fang said. "The doc created them. I'm sure he knows how…"

"This 'Angel' is not one of Anton's halfling creations," Thailog said. "He is a true vampire." He looked down at Kate. "And if he has a relationship with this human, no doubt he will be able to follow her here." He leaned down and turned Kate over, turning her head to inspect her neck. "No marks," he noted. "So she has not been tasted." He carefully stood up. "But we still must be ready." He turned to Anton. "Have you begun the cloning process yet?" he asked.

"Not yet," Sevarius said. "I was just getting ready to put the genetic material into the cloning chamber when Fang returned with his 'bride-to-be'."

Thailog looked down at Kate, who was already beginning to stir. "Extract a sample from her as well," he said. "Then put her in with Demona. We will flood the room with cyanide gas and kill them both after we leave."

"Hey!" Fang cried out in protest.

"You do realize that Demona will no doubt survive," Sevarius said.

"Yes," Thailog said. "But she will also get the blame for the death of this human. Just one more death on her hands." Thailog turned and started for the door as Fang frowned while he held Kate still long enough for Sevarius to draw the blood sample.

"Hey!" he called out. "What about me? Don't I get a say in this matter?"

"No," Thailog said. "You have been nothing but trouble ever since I contacted you. I should have known better than to trust a two-bit loser such as yourself." He opened the door and started to leave. "The fact that you are still alive should be compensation enough for your troubles."

"My troubles?" Fang said in disbelief. "Listen here, pal! You wouldn't be where you are now if it weren't for me. I'm the one who got your worthless carcass out of New York after your last run-in with Demona!"

"And I should be grateful for that?" Thailog bellowed. "I could have easily left the state if I chose to. I did not need your assistance."

"Boys, boys," Sevarius said, trying to defuse the situation. "We have a guest. If we are going to have a family squabble, then perhaps we should arrange to have it elsewhere."

Thailog glared at Sevarius, but he knew he was right. "You are correct," he said. "Now is not the time for this." He turned his attention to Kate. "Put her in with Demona, and we'll 'discuss' her fate later. After we have moved to a 'safer' location'."

Fang growled at Thailog, already knowing what the clone had in mind for Kate, but he complied anyway. He took her to the room where Demona was still shackled to the wall, unconscious, and shoved the detective into the room. Kate saw him hesitate for a moment before he finally closed the door.

A light moaning drew her attention to the other occupant of the room. She carefully approached the azure gargoyle and looked down at her. The suit she had been wearing was tattered, and Kate got the impression that it wasn't supposed to be part of the illusion Demona had told her about._ Another lie,_ she thought bitterly. She looked back at the door.

"I doubt very much if they're going to let you go if you start pounding on that door," she heard a voice say. She turned and saw Demona looking at her.

"I'd rather try my luck that way than be stuck in here with a killer," she said viciously.

"I am not…" Demona started defensively.

"Oh, I know," Kate said, sweeping her hands dramatically. "The great and powerful Demona wouldn't hurt a fly." She turned her attention back to the trapped gargess. "Or would she?"

Demona was silent for a few minutes. "How did you find out my name?" she asked.

"I have a friend in the NYPD," she said. "He's the head of the Gargoyle Task Force. I think you know him."

"Matt Bluestone," Demona sighed heavily. "He told you who I was."

"Not right away," Kate said. "For some reason, he tried to avoid telling me what you'd done. But I eventually found out all there was to know about you, Demona." She stalked over to the gargess. "I know who and what you are, and I'm going to see to it that you pay for what you've done."

"What I've done?" Demona said angrily. "What about what you and your race has done to me and my kind? Yes, I've taken human lives before, but they were always in defense of my own race, a race you humans have been trying to wipe out for over a thousand years!"

"And you think your race is better than ours?" Kate said angrily. "Does that justify what you've done?"

"I used to believe that gargoyles were better than humans, yes," Demona spat. "At least, my kind does not actively seek out to destroy other races simply because they exist. Can you say the same thing, detective?"

Kate opened her mouth the respond, but then Demona cut her off. "Remember, I have been alive for over a thousand years. I've witnessed countless atrocities throughout the centuries. The Inquisition, the witch hunts. I witnessed the Holocaust firsthand. I know how 'humane' humanity truly is."

Kate was taken aback by Demona's words, not because they shocked her, but because she knew that Demona was right. "That still doesn't change what you've done in the past," she said. "You still have a lot to answer for."

"Perhaps," she said. "But I have little faith in the human justice system."

"The system works," Kate said.

"Does it?" Demona asked. "Would I be here, shackled to the wall, if a known felon like Steven Fisher hadn't been allowed to slip through the cracks? Would there be lawyers like Lilah Morgan and Holland Manners, who would gladly sell their souls to the devil, and probably already have, if there were any truth to your much vaunted sense of justice?"

"The system does work," Kate said.

"For you perhaps," Demona said. "But not for me. I prefer my own sense of justice." She gritted her teeth and strained her arms, trying to break free. She managed to pull the shackles from the wall, but it still left her arms trapped. _It's a start,_ she thought.

"Your brand of justice sounds like vigilantism to me," Kate said. "You know that I can't allow that."

"No?" Demona asked. "My brand of justice a hundred years ago turned a cruel and vicious killer into a force of good in this world. I believe you call him Angel."

Kate blinked. "What did you do to him?" she asked.

Demona finally got the bar holding her wrists loose enough to free herself. "I restored his soul," she said.

Kate watched wordlessly as Demona made for the door and began digging her talons into the metal. After a few seconds, she heard a hissing sound.

"Thailog, you bastard!" she called out. "You won't get rid of me that easily." She dug her talons deeper into the door and finally managed to tear it loose. She tossed it aside and pulled Kate out of the room.

"They've escaped!" Thailog bellowed as the alarm sounded.

"Then I suggest we get moving right now, my boy," Sevarius said. "Knowing Demona, she's going to want a piece of you before she leaves."

Thailog looked at the cloning chambers, where two clones were in the first stages of development. "Can they be moved?" he asked. He wouldn't leave them behind, not unless he was forced to.

"No," Sevarius said. "I'm sorry, my boy. Time to say good-bye." He went to the workstation and began downloading the information he had gathered on Demona's transformation onto a CD-R disc. "But have no fear," he continued. "We have plenty of raw DNA for another go at a new location. And all the information we need to continue our plans."

"That's going to be a problem," they heard another voice say. They turned and saw a dark-haired stranger standing by the door. Thailog growled as he saw Matt Bluestone by his side.

"What's up, doc?" Angel said.

Demona and Kate raced down the corridor, trying to outrun the gas that was still seeping from the room they had been in. They turned a corner and stopped.

"Fang!" Demona growled.

"Listen, Red," he said. "I don't want any trouble. I just want to get out of here with my fur intact."

Demona grabbed him by the throat. "After what you did to me?" she snarled. "I think not."

"Hey, Demona," Fang struggled. "Your beef is with Thailog, not me. He's the one who had me grab you. If it were up to me, I'd have left you alone. Besides, I'm not the one who tried to kill your daughter."

Demona frowned at the Mutate, and then shoved him aside. "As spineless as ever," she snarled. "Pray that we never cross paths again, Fang. Because next time, I shall turn you into a rug."

Fang sagged to the floor of the corridor. "I…I can live with that." He watched as the two raced up the corridor, then turned to head in the opposite direction. That's when he saw the gas.

He quickly turned and took off after Demona and Kate.

"Hey," he called out. "You weren't going to leave me there to get poisoned, were you?"

Matt held his gun on Sevarius while Angel and Thailog circled each other, sizing each other up.

"So you are the 'Angel' Wolfram and Hart is worried about," Thailog said in disdain. "I am disappointed."

"Don't be," Angel said. "I've tangled with the best. You know Demona, right? I took a bite out of her a hundred years ago, and I'm still around to talk about it." He looked at Thailog's battered frame. "But you," he said. "One fight with Demona, and you can hardly walk."

"A temporary condition," Thailog said. "But one that will be remedied in time."

"From the sound of that alarm," Angel said. "You might not have much time left."

"Too true," he said. Suddenly, a wrist blaster extended from the gauntlet on his right forearm. A laser lanced out and caught Angel square in the chest, knocking him backwards. "I always knew those plans would come in handy."

"Angel!" Matt cried out as he watched the vampire fall to the floor, a scorch mark on his chest. Forgetting Sevarius, he rushed to the vampire's aid. Sevarius quickly pulled a blaster from underneath the workstation and leveled it at the detective.

"Time to go, my boy," he said as he ejected a CD-ROM disc from the computer drive.

"I agree," Thailog said. Keeping their weapons trained on the two, they headed for the door.

Demona and Kate raced into the lab just in time to see the door close, sealing them in.

"Damn him!" Demona cursed, pounding on the door. "Tell me Thailog did not just get away through that door, Bluestone."

"Sorry," Matt said.

"And you did nothing to stop him," Demona snarled.

"They kinda had us at a disadvantage," Angel groaned. "They had blasters."

"Perfect," Demona snarled. She turned her attention to the cloning chambers. "Well, this is one thing Thailog won't be benefiting from." She took Bluestone's revolver and put a round into the base of each chamber, ending the cloning cycle. She then handed the revolver back to Matt.

"You just destroyed evidence," Kate said.

"No," she said. "I just destroyed something that should never have been allowed to exist in the first place. I already have one hybrid clone of myself to contend with. I don't need two more."

Kate frowned at the azure gargess, but before she was able to say anything, they heard a panting sound, and turned as Fang came rushing into the room. "We got problems," he said.

Matt leveled his revolver at the Mutate. "Well, well," he said. "Can't say I'm disappointed to see you, Fang?"

Fang frowned at Matt. "Listen, flatfoot," he said. "We ain't got time for this." He pointed back the way he and the two women had come. "There's a cloud of poison gas coming up that hallway, and unless you enjoy sucking that stuff into your lungs, we gotta get our butts outta here like now!"

"That's going to be a problem," Demona said. She dug her talons into the door. "This door is very thick. It's going to take me a while to get through it."

"Step aside, Red," Fang said. "I'll blast it open." Demona turned to look at the Mutate, then quickly stepped aside as she saw blue balls of energy forming around his hands. Then everyone shielded their eyes when he unleashed the energy against the door. The door remained intact.

"Come on!" Fang bellowed as he slammed his fists against the door. "Open up!"

Matt quickly went to the other door and closed it. "That should buys us a few seconds," he said.

Demona went back to the door and dug her talons into it. She pulled on the door, and then pushed against it. She felt it shift. Smiling, she gave the door a sideways pull. It opened halfway with a groan, but then stopped.

"All right," Fang said. "So I loosened it for you." Without waiting, he shoved Demona out of the way and bolted through the door.

"He's certainly no gentleman," Kate said.

"About what one would expect from someone like him," Demona said. She waited until the others had raced through the door before quickly searching the lab. Finding what she needed, she smashed open the glass tubes of the cloning chambers, and then set fire to the lab.

Three hours later…

Angel Investigations

"So, there was no sign of them?" Cordelia asked.

"None," Demona said. "Thailog and Sevarius made a clean getaway, and we lost track of Fang in the fire. There's no way of knowing if he even made it out of the building." She paused. "Good riddance, I say."

"Demona…" Angel said, wincing slightly as Cordelia did her best to bandage the laser burn on his chest.

"That bastard killed me, Angel," she snarled. "Twice. If I never see him again, I'll consider it a small favor. And if he got trapped in the fire, so much the better." He looked at Matt. "Wouldn't you agree, detective?"

"I'm not so sure I'd agree with you on that," he said. When Demona scowled at him, he continued. "I'm an officer of the law," he said. "I have a responsibility to uphold that law. It's not my job, or yours, to try and convict someone because of my personal feeling about them. Fang deserve his day in court, same as you."

"And would you be able to hold him?" she snapped. "Even your partner's little brother tried that, and he still got away." She sighed. "It doesn't matter now anyway," she said. "This unpleasantness is over and done with, and I for one intend to put it as far behind me as I can." She headed for the door.

"And just where do you think your going?" Kate challenged.

"I still have 'unfinished business' to take care of," she said. "I still have whatever havoc Thailog did to my company to clear up here, and I also have a certain lawyer to take care of." She looked at Angel. "I want to thank you for your assistance, Angel. But I think I can take care of things from this point on."

"Demona," Wesley said. "You can't just walk into the offices of Wolfram and Hart and assault on of their lawyers."

"Who said I was going to walk in?" she said. Before anyone could protest, she was already out the door.

Wolfram and Hart

Holland Manner's office

"I don't know what to say, sir," Lilah said. "If I had known Angel was going to…"

"That's all right, Lilah," Holland said. "I doubt this is your fault. It was obviously Fang's fault. I should have advised Thailog not to go after Ms. Destine directly. If I knew he had an interest in trying to secure a mate, I could have arranged for a suitable one to be taken from one of the other clans. There is one in a country to the south of us. Guatemala, I believe."

"Maybe," she said.

"Were you able to secure the files we discussed?" he asked.

Lilah held up the briefcase. "They're in here, sir," she said with a smile.

"Ah, good," he said. "You showed great initiative in going back in once you escaped from Angel."

"I knew that you'd want these files," she said, setting the briefcase on Holland's desk. "If Ms. Destine knew we had these…"

Her words were stopped as Holland's window shattered. Lilah and Holland both dived out of the way of flying glass, and when they got back up, they were confronted by a very angry azure-blue gargess.

"Hello, Holland," Demona snarled.

"Ms….Destine," he said, trying to regain his composure. "I didn't expect to see…"

"I'm sure you didn't," she said. "You were probably hoping that both Thailog and Sevarius would keep me locked away somewhere long enough for you to get your hooks back into Nightstone." She saw the briefcase on Holland's desk. "I'll take this if you don't mind."

"That is…" Lilah started.

Demona quickly turned the briefcase around. "My property, if I'm not mistaken," she said, showing the lawyers the initials embossed in the leather. She opened the briefcase and took out the files. "As are these." She put the files back in the briefcase and closed it. "Whatever plans you had for my company, you can just forget it. I am severing my company's ties to you as of this moment."

"Are you certain you want to do that, Ms. Destine?" Holland said. "After all…"

Demona stepped forward and grabbed Holland by the throat. "Don't force me to kill you, Holland," she snarled. "You were invaluable to me in the past, and for that I am grateful, but you don't want to piss me off by making threats against me and mine. The last one who did that is still suffering for it. Or haven't you heard what I did to Alexander?"

Lilah blanched slightly, remembering the scars that covered Thailog's body.

Demona released her grip on Holland's throat. "If I were you, Holland, you will tell the senior partners that I am not to be contacted by you or any of the lawyers in your firm ever again. And I would greatly recommend, Ms. Morgan," she added to Lilah. "That you seriously consider a career change. The senior partners will not be too forgiving for this fiasco, and I am certain that you and Holland will be at the top of their list."

Lilah gulped as Demona shoved Holland away from her and headed for the shattered window. She looked back as the door opened and several armed guards rushed into the office. She took off into the night as they raced to the window.

"Let her go," Lilah quickly said. The guards looked at her as she helped Holland to his feet.

"Sir?" one of the guards asked.

"She's right," Holland said. "Unless you would like to try to follow her."

The guard looked out the window, seeing the long drop to the pavement, and then looked up at the dwindling silhouette of the gargoyle heading across the sky. "No, sir," he said. He motioned to the other guards and they left the office.

"So, what do we do now?" Lilah asked.

"Demona said that we were on the top of the list," Holland said. "I think we can find someone who would be willing to take our place on that list." He went to his desk and righted the chair, taking a moment to sweep the broken glass away. "Wouldn't you agree?"

"I think I can find someone," Lilah said.

July 7, 2000

A passenger jet on approach to John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York

Dominique Destine sat back as she felt the jet begin its descent. She hadn't minded the stopover in Denver so much as she hated the fact that her own corporate jet would be down for repairs for a few days longer. _It couldn't be helped,_ she thought. _I had to resolve the situation in Los Angeles._ She had spent the last two weeks after what happened cleaning up the mess Thailog had left behind. He had managed to divert funds from several accounts he had still managed to hide from her, and she had to track down those accounts and close them off completely. There was that mess, and what Sevarius had done to her to deal with.

She decided to wait until she was certain that the nano-probe Sevarius had injected into her was purged from her body. The last thing she wanted was for the device to become lodged in a heart valve and cause a heart attack at the worst possible moment. And she wanted to make certain Sevarius hadn't left any other nasty surprises for her.

What made the two weeks even more unbearable was the almost constant harassment she had to suffer at the hands of Detective Lockley. The detective made it clear that she wanted Demona out of Los Angeles, and she wasn't about to let up until she was certain that the immortal gargess was on her way back to Manhattan. _Let the cops who know how to deal with her have her, _she no doubt thought. _Well, I hope she's happy now that I'm gone._

She looked up as the 'Fasten Seatbelt' sign came on, then got out of her seat to retrieve her laptop computer from the overhead compartment. As soon as she had it in hand, she sat down and opened it.

"Excuse me?" the stewardess said as she stopped by her seat.

Dominique looked up. "Yes?" she said.

"You're going to have to put that away," the stewardess said. "We'll be landing in a few minutes."

"I just need a few minutes to get something taken care of," she said. "Then I'll put it away."

The stewardess frowned at her, but didn't press the issue. She turned to head down the aisle.

_She must have a pretty good salary, _Dominique thought. _Didn't want to risk losing her job by arguing with a first-class passenger. _She did what she needed to do. _I hope Ms. Chase appreciates the gift, _she thought, then closed the laptop and put it away. _Now all I need to do is... _

She turned in her seat just then, looking towards the back of the first-class section, as the sense of something powerful touched her mind. She started to get out of her seat.

"Excuse me, miss," the stewardess said, seeing her. "You'll have to sit down and buckle your seatbelt. We're about to land."

Dominique frowned at her, but sat back down. As the stewardess made her way towards the back of the plane, Dominique turned in her seat again, trying to figure out what it was she had sensed. _Such a feeling of raw power, _she thought. _Was there another sorcerer on board? _She closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to pick up on whatever it was she had felt. _Nothing. _She opened her eyes. _Probably nothing. _She turned around in her seat and waited as the plane started its final approach towards the airport.

And in the Coach section of the plane, Willow Rosenburg closed the book she hoped would cure her friend Oz.

"Don't worry, Willow," her friend Buffy Summers said. "We won't fail."

"I hope not," Willow said. She sighed and sat back as the plane started its descent.

The End


End file.
